Maurice 'Bojangles' Blanchard, Gay Baptist Preacher, Arrested After ...

A gay Kentucky preacher and his partner were arrested Tuesday after refusing to leave a county clerk's office that denied them a marriage license.

Rev. Maurice "Bojangles" Blanchard and Dominique James attempted to secure the license knowing they would be refused, according to ThinkProgress. Same-sex marriages and civil unions were outlawed in Kentucky in 2004 by an amendment to the state's constitution.

Officers arrived to arrest the couple when they remained in the Jefferson County clerk's office after it had closed for the day, according to the Kentucky News Network. Metro police charged both men with trespassing.

According to the Courier-Journal, Blanchard told police he had a "spiritual obligation" to stay, and that he had refused an offer from police to be cited and allowed to leave.

"If we don't act, we are accomplices in our own discrimination," Blanchard charged, according to the Courier-Journal. "We have to resist."

Blanchard made history in May, when he was ordained by Louisville's Highland Baptist Church as an openly gay man, reports the Human Right Campaign. He and James were married in the Unitarian Church six years ago, according to Louisville's WFPL News.

Blanchard has long been an advocate for gay marriage in the area, and is the founder of True Colors Ministry, an LGBT program part of Highland Baptist Church, reports WFPL.

Jefferson County Clerk Bobbi Holsclaw told the Courier-Journal that she was merely upholding state law, adding that the men should have taken up their case with the state legislature instead of with the clerk's office.

Thirty U.S. states have ratified constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. However, a poll released in December showed that, out of 1,000 respondents, 40 percent said they supported marriage equality, as compared to 24 percent who said they didn't think same-sex couples should be able to enter any type of legal union.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/maurice-bojangles-blanchard-arrested-gay-baptist-preacher-kentucky_n_2552368.html

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Got Auto Responder? : Home Business Blogs

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An auto responder is a lead capturing system that is an integral part of an online business.

It usually takes a combination of an investment of time, marketing effort and money to accomplish a stream of people finding your website on the internet. It ?????Continue / Read Entire Blog?

Source: http://www.homebizblogs.com/2013/01/got-auto-responder/

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Another Potential Suitor For RIM As Lenovo Ponders An Acquisition

Research In Motion is once again the target of a rumored acquisition. Lenovo’s CFO Wang Wai Ming said in an interview with Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos that the Beijing company is eying the BlackBerry maker as a potential acquisition target or strategic alliance partner. The news comes less than a week after RIM CEO Thorsten Heins told German newspaper Die Welt that RIM is still undergoing a strategic review, with the possibility of licensing BB 10 to other manufacturers and selling its hardware production unit. And last August, Bloomberg reported that IBM “made an informal approach” to acquire RIM’s enterprise-services unit–the heart of BlackBerry’s business–amid intensifying rumors of an acquisition. “We are looking at all opportunities–RIM and many others,” Wong told Bloomberg. “We’ll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along that could benefit us and shareholders.” Wong added that Lenovo has already spoken to RIM and its bankers about various combinations and strategic ventures, though it is unclear when exactly Lenovo would put in a bid. RIM has been looking at its options since last year, when its market share took a beating from the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. On Lenovo’s side, a shrinking PC market has kept it from growing after it bought IBM’s PC unit in 2005. RIM’s stock price fell to a low of $6.22 in September, but has since nearly tripled due to speculation over the results of a strategic review and buzz over RIM’s long-anticipated BB 10 phones, which will finally debut in less than a week. If the BB 10 takes off as RIM hopes, one option is to focus on licensing the OS to rivals like Samsung. Other rumored suitors for RIM over the past two years have included Amazon back in 2011, and Samsung, which repeatedly denied rumors of a deal last year. A takeover of RIM by a Chinese company would certainly raise security questions–especially for the company once described as a Canadian “crown jewel” by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. And back in July, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said that the company has pulled back from expanding its China operations because of concerns over protecting its sensitive networks. The deal could also face regulatory hurdles in the U.S., where government investigations into spyware have already created massive hurdles for two other Chinese telecommunications manufacturers, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp. But a deal focused on

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TKOAKr-dZvs/

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Manufacturers say demand up after fiscal cliff fight

BOSTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. manufacturers sounded a confident note about their expectations for 2013 on Wednesday as fears of the year-end "fiscal cliff" faded into memory.

Textron Inc , whose Cessna unit is the world's biggest maker of corporate jets, laid out an earnings forecast that would represent growth of about 12 percent, while larger peer United Technologies Corp , which makes Otis elevators, Carrier air conditioners and Sikorsky helicopters among other products, reiterated a projection that its profit would rise about 13 percent.

Executives at each company said demand is recovering after a year-end pause in ordering, when customers worried about a budget standoff that could have triggered large spending cuts and higher taxes in the United States.

"We probably have had more order activity than we're used to seeing at the beginning of January," reflecting orders that had been delayed, Textron Chief Executive Scott Donnelly said on a conference call with analysts. "We'll see a degree of uncertainty in the jet market as Washington works through its fiscal challenges, but we believe demand will solidify as those uncertainties are reduced."

The Providence, Rhode Island-based company, which also makes Bell helicopters and EZ-Go golf carts, said it expects sales of its Cessna corporate jets to pick up this year.

Budget battles continue in Washington even after the White House and Congress averted a possible year-end crisis that economists called the "fiscal cliff" with warnings of another possible recession.

But the current battle seems less daunting to executives in the face of other signs of a recovering economy.

"What we see in the economy in the U.S. is that the rebound in the housing market is really having a pull-through effect on the rest of the economy," said Greg Hayes, chief financial officer of United Tech, in an interview. "Commercial construction is coming back. We saw particular strength in North America and Asia, not as much of a story in Europe, as you can imagine.

The U.S. housing slump set the 2007-2009 recession in motion and a slow recovery in that market has been one important drag on a long, sluggish recovery. Recent government data have shown a pickup in demand, with a report last week showing housing starts surged to a four-year high in December.

'PATH GETS EASIER'

Hartford, Connecticut-based United Tech, which also produces Pratt & Whitney jet engines, also noted that airlines' orders for its spare parts had risen in the quarter, reflecting higher rates of travel.

"The path gets a little easier," said Daniel Holland, an equity analyst at Morningstar, who covers United Tech. "If you look at all the pieces, a housing recovery here and in China, and an improving environment for Otis (elevators) in China, they have decent, positive momentum."

U.S. lawmakers were expected to vote on Wednesday to extend by four months the government's ability to borrow money, effectively suspending rules that allow the nation to borrow no more than $16.4 trillion.

Textron and United Tech also have significant defense businesses, and some investors worry that the United States will continue to scale back spending on weapons, such as United Tech's Black Hawk military helicopters and Textron's heavy armored vehicles.

GROWTH FORECASTS

United Tech stood by its forecast, first issued last month, that called for 2013 earnings to rise about 13 percent to a range of $5.85 to $6.15 per share, with sales up about 12 percent to a range of $64 billion to $65 billion.

Textron issued a 2013 forecast that called for profit to rise by about 12 percent to a range of $2.10 to $2.30 per share, with revenue up about 6 percent to $12.9 billion.

The results came a few days after General Electric Co , the largest U.S. conglomerate, said that it ended 2012 with a record-high order backlog and sounded a confident note on 2013, sending its shares higher on Friday.

The manufacturing sector has been one of the better performers this quarter, with 80 percent of the industrial companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index <.spx> topping analysts' forecasts. That is better than the 68 percent of companies across the index that have beaten estimates.

United Tech and Textron shares, each of which had risen roughly 15 percent over the past six months, outpacing the broader U.S. market, were little changed in early trading.

United Tech rose 38 cents, less than 1 percent, to $88.85 and Textron gained 2 percent to $27.66. Both trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Investors will get more news on the sector later this week, when 3M Co and Honeywell International Inc are due to report results.

(Reporting By Scott Malone; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio, Andrew Hay and David Gregorio)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/manufacturers-demand-cliff-standoff-141129696--business.html

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Evidence mounts for role of mutated genes in development of schizophrenia

Jan. 22, 2013 ? Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a rare gene mutation in a single family with a high rate of schizophrenia, adding to evidence that abnormal genes play a role in the development of the disease.

The researchers, in a report published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, say that family members with the mutation in the gene Neuronal PAS domain protein 3 (NPAS3) appear at high risk of developing schizophrenia or another debilitating mental illnesses.

Normally functioning NPAS3 regulates the development of healthy neurons, especially in a region of the brain known as the hippocampus, which appears to be affected in schizophrenia. The Johns Hopkins researchers say they have evidence that the mutation found in the family may lead to abnormal activity of NPAS3, which has implications for brain development and function.

"Understanding the molecular and biological pathways of schizophrenia is a powerful way to advance the development of treatments that have fewer side effects and work better than the treatments now available," says study leader Frederick C. Nucifora Jr., Ph.D., D.O., M.H.S., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "We could definitely use better medicines."

Along with environmental factors, it is widely believed that many genes play some role in causing schizophrenia, a disease characterized by a variable combination of hallucinations, delusions, impaired cognition and a loss of drive and initiative. The disorder strikes an estimated seven in every 1,000 adults in the United States. While the Johns Hopkins experiments to date show that the NPAS3 mutation is rare, Nucifora says learning as much as possible about the biological role of NPAS3 will likely lead to a better understanding of how other genes contribute to the development of schizophrenia, even in the absence of the NPAS3 mutation.

For the study, Nucifora and his team used blood samples to search the DNA of 34 people with schizophrenia or a related condition, schizoaffective disorder. All 34 were members of families in which more than one person had the disease. The investigators were specifically looking for NPAS3 mutations -- previous research suggested it could be involved in schizophrenia -- and found it in one of the families.

By analyzing blood samples from that single family -- two parents and four adult children -- they found that the mother, who has schizophrenia, her two children with schizophrenia, and her child with major depression all had the mutant version of NPAS3. The NPAS3 gene provides instructions for the production of a protein that contains 933 amino acids. The altered gene led to a single flaw: a valine was switched to an isoleucine. Nucifora says it is not yet known how this single mutation affects the function or structure of NPAS3. A possible hint comes from the finding of other investigators that a change from valine to isoleucine in a protein known as APP is linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Nucifora cautions that, by itself, finding a mutation in a single family with mental illness doesn't establish the altered gene as the cause of the illness. Nucifora and his colleagues therefore set out to determine whether the mutation plays any role in the function of NPAS3, which serves as a master switch in cells, controlling the fate of many other genes involved in brain development and metabolism.

To do that, Nucifora and his colleagues grew neurons with either normal or mutated copies of NPAS3 in a dish, and found that the healthy neurons grew nice long extensions, a process that typically allows them to make good connections with other cells and is therefore critical for brain function. In neurons with the mutated gene, the extensions were abnormally short.

Other genes believed to be involved in mental illness also have been found to disrupt the growth of longer neuronal extensions.

"We showed that the mutation does change the function of NPAS3, with potentially harmful effects in neurons," he says. "The next step is to figure out exactly how the genetic disruption alters neuronal function, and how these abnormal neurons influence the broader function of the brain."

Nucifora and his team are now working to create a mouse with the NPAS3 mutation. "If this mutation in NPAS3 is indeed important for human disease, then we should detect abnormalities in the neurons of mice with mutant NPAS3, and the mice should have impairments in learning, memory and social behavior," he says.

The research was supported by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, the Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation and the Hatten S. Yoder III Memorial Fellowship.

Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved in the study include Lan Yu, Ph.D.; Nicolas Arbez, Ph.D.; Leslie G. Nucifora, Ph.D.; Gabrielle L. Sell, B.S.; Christopher A. Ross, M.D., Ph.D.; and Russell L. Margolis, M.D.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. L Yu, N Arbez, L G Nucifora, G L Sell, L E DeLisi, C A Ross, R L Margolis, F C Nucifora. A mutation in NPAS3 segregates with mental illness in a small family. Molecular Psychiatry, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/mp.2012.192

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/mind_brain/mental_health/~3/nGXTi5RPaag/130122101338.htm

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Gay News Headlines: Relationships, Marriage, Adoption

GAYTWOGETHER disclaims any and all responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, completeness, legality, reliability, operability, or availability of information or material displayed on this site and does not claim credit for any images or articles featured on this site, unless otherwise noted. Usually we try to give credit when and where we can. All visual content is copyright to it's respectful owners. Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies, the site's proprietors do not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site's content. If you own rights to any of the images or articles, and do not wish them to appear on this site, please contact us via e-mail and they will be promptly removed. GAYTWOGETHER contains links to other Internet sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience to you and are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information in such site has been endorsed or approved by GAYTWOGETHER.

Source: http://gaytwogether.typepad.com/gaytwogether/2013/01/gay-news-headlines-relationships-marriage-adoption-5.html

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Ahead of the Bell: Celgene cancer drug fares well

Celgene's cancer treatment Abraxane improved survival time for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer when paired with another treatment in a late-stage study.

The Summit, N.J., company said Abraxane combined with gemcitabine, which goes by the brand name Gemzar, delivered a statistically significant improvement in overall survival for patients who have yet to undergo treatment, compared with patients who received only Gemzar.

Celgene's subsidiary, Celgene International Sarl, also said late Tuesday that 35 percent of the patients taking the paired drugs survived for one year, compared with 22 percent taking Gemzar alone.

U.S. regulators already have approved Abraxane to treat breast cancer and a form of lung cancer. The company plans to seek approval for the pancreatic cancer use in the first half of this year.

Celgene said pancreatic cancer makes up only about 2 percent of all newly diagnosed cancers, but it has the lowest survival rate of all forms of the disease. The five-year survival rate for patients with advanced forms of the disease is less than 2 percent.

Researchers also are studying Abraxane as a possible treatment for bladder and ovarian cancers.

Cantor analyst Mara Goldstein said she has high expectations for Abraxane as a pancreatic cancer treatment. Goldstein things the study data was strong, but she wouldn't be surprised to see Celgene shares take a break from climbing after advancing about 30 percent in the last two months.

Shares of Celgene Corp. fell $1.21, or 1.2 percent, to $98.10 Wednesday in premarket trading.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ahead-bell-celgene-cancer-drug-134445184.html

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2013 Lincoln MKZ Test Drive

On Sale Date: Now

Price: $36,820-$39,940

Competitors: Lexus ES 350, Lexus ES 300h, Acura TL, Cadillac XTS, Hyundai Genesis, Toyota Avalon, Buick LaCrosse/LaCrosse eAssist, Audi A6

Powertrains: 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost, 240 hp, 270 lb-ft; 3.7-liter V-6, 300 hp, 277 lb-ft; 2-liter, four-cylinder hybrid, 188 hp, 129 lb-ft; FWD/AWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 22/31-33 (I-4), 18-19/28-26 (V-6), 45/45 (hybrid)

What's New: It's been a tough road for Lincoln. After Ford killed Mercury in 2010, the company set out to reinvent its luxury brand as a player in the upscale market once more. But like Mercury, Lincoln suffers from one nagging problem: It's essentially a fancy Ford with a slightly different face. Unable to stay competitive with other luxury carmakers, Lincoln's sales have plummeted to 85,643 units in 2011, down from a company high of more than 200,000 in 1990. To right the Lincoln ship, Ford hired Max Wolff to be Lincoln's first-ever design director, created a separate design studio specifically for Lincoln, and even renamed the brand The Lincoln Motor Company.

Now we have the 2013 MKZ, the first all-new product from the all-new Lincoln. As with the last-gen MKZ, the newest iteration rides on the same global architecture as the 2013 Ford Fusion and has an identical 112.2-inch wheelbase. But that's where the structural similarities end. The MKZ is 2.4 inches longer, 0.1 inch taller, and half an inch wider than the Fusion. The car is remarkably close to the MKZ concept Lincoln first showed off last year in Detroit, featuring the same silky roofline, an exaggerated, steeply raked split-wing grille, and a decidedly European rear. Yet for all of those swooping and sweeping lines, the sheet metal is stretched tight, giving the car an equally muscular appearance.

Lincoln also upgraded the MKZ's interior, with leather, wood applique, and styling that mimics the car's exterior design cues. The MKZ's new bridge center console reflects the car's roofline and houses two hidden drink holders, a rear compartment, and two different open-air storage cubbies below the arch and under the dash. This extra storage area is made possible by ditching a classic shifter setup for a push-button system on the dash, located to the left of the standard 8-inch LCD screen with MyLincoln Touch. Below the screen is a CD player, two touch-sensitive chrome bars that let you adjust volume and fan speed, and other HVAC capacitive controls. The leather-wrapped steering has controls for a Bluetooth-connected phone, adaptive cruise control (part of the $2250 Technology Package), and customizable digital information screens in the 10.1-inch cluster display, which nicely balances futuristic and classic design themes.

Underneath, the MKZ comes standard with Lincoln Drive Control, a customizable continuously controlled damping system that adjusts the movement of the MacPherson struts and aluminum control arms up front and the multilink suspension in the rear every 2 milliseconds. Engine options consist of an entry-level 2.0-liter Ecoboost, a 3.7-liter Ecoboost, and, most interestingly, a no-extra-cost hybrid option. Both gas-engine options come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission while the hybrid gets a CVT.

Our test car also had the MKZ's most prominent exterior feature: the 15.2-square-foot retractable glass panoramic roof, a $2995 option. With the push of a button, the glass panel rises up and slides back above the rear window, exposing three-quarters of the interior to the sky. To protect passengers from the sun, the glass panel is rated up to 100 SPF, but there's also a retractable cloth screen for complete coverage. To increase cabin serenity, the MKZ also features active noise cancellation and a whole heap of sound deadening. Just jimmy your finger into the crease between the ceiling and the panoramic roof and you'll feel a solid inch of noise-absorbing materials.

Tech Tidbit: The MKZ, like the Fusion, has a new driver-assist feature called Lane Keeping System. One of the coolest features of this system is that it reads lane markings with a forward-facing camera and uses the electric power steering to move the steering wheel and nudge you back into the lane. That, along with Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Warning, and Brake Support, enables the MKZ to be semi-autonomous?you could leave your feet off the pedals and hands off the wheel and the car will keep pace with the car in front of it while maintaining its course between the white lines. The MKZ can't quite drive itself, but it makes monotonous long hauls and stressful heavy traffic more bearable. Fully autonomous vehicles are still at least a decade away, but we will continue to see this technology trickle into production vehicles.

Driving Character: For our test drive, we requested the 3.7-liter, V-6- equipped MKZ, the only engine not available on the Fusion. Fully loaded, our test car came to a neck-hair-bristling $51,185. From behind the wheel, the wood trim, leather, and clean surfaces impart luxury, but the interior still lacks a certain refinement that you would see in an Audi or a BMW at the same price. The slightly bolstered seats wrap you just tight enough to suggest a bit of sportiness, and the leather-wrapped wheel soothed our road rage as we escaped the clogged traffic of NYC for open pavement.

Navigating loopy mountain roads and straight highways on our 115-mile drive through Westchester County and around Bear Mountain State Park, the MKZ's 3.7-liter proved powerful enough, though on occasion the transmission took a little longer than it should to downshift for more juice. The car's electrical power-assisted steering is nicely tuned and felt especially honed through a series of S turns that made us work like a dog darting through weave poles. The chassis feels firm and planted and the Lincoln Drive Control provides plenty of support?if not a little softness?in the turns. Along with the standard drive, park, reverse, and neutral settings, the MKZ also features a sport mode that stiffens the suspension, making it more responsive and noticeably more fun to whip around mountain roads, though the overall driving experience doesn't inspire any exclamations of amazement.

It's the setup of the center console that truly helps the MKZ's interior feel modern. Although the plastic push-button shifting looks cheap, the sparse center console and dash make for a clean cabin. And even though it's a fingerprint magnet, we had no trouble with the much-derided MyLincoln Touch system and think it receives unfair grief. Yet it is the same interface used in the Fusion, so it's hard to shake the feeling that you're sitting in a thinly disguised Ford. The touch-sensitive volume and fan bars proved finicky for precise operation, though the effect impresses when they do work. For volume, eventually we switched to the more straightforward buttons on the steering wheel. The bridge console also disappoints, as the open-air cubbies require some inconvenient hand contortions to reach anything. In the end, we'd prefer a standard shifting setup and center console to the MKZ's current execution.

On our drive, the MKZ's new styling drew stares and even a few compliments. That said, the design feels a tad outdated already. This might just be the inevitable effect of the split-wing grille, which lends itself to a certain older aesthetic, but Lincoln's new design language still needs some fine-tuning if it is to avoid being associated primarily with Baby Boomers.

Favorite Detail: While the front-end styling of the MKZ leaves us conflicted, the rear-end styling is a home run. The way the sloping roofline abruptly meets the short, angular trunk lid makes for an aesthetically pleasing juxtaposition, and we like the way the LED taillights span the rear of the car, exaggerating its width. The shape of the exhausts mirrors the wider parts of the taillight, which is also a nice touch.

Driver's Grievance: The center console could have made the car more open but instead wasted the space. For those with a critical eye for design, there's also an unfortunate issue with cars that have the panoramic roof: Because the entire roof slides back and onto the rear window, there is no place for a modern "shark-fin" antenna. The solution is a rather large and ugly rubber antenna on the left rear of the car. And when the panoramic roof is all the way back, it covers most of the back window and rear visibility becomes subpar, with only 9 to 12 inches of the view being perfectly clear. There is an optional backup camera system as part of a $5330 equipment package, but this doesn't help when you're driving down a highway.

Bottom Line: With the MKZ, Lincoln needed a huge hit and came up short. Faster, quieter, cheaper, and with more standard features than its Lexus counterparts (another luxury brand limited by its dependence on parent-company chassis), the MKZ will certainly steal some consumers and attract younger buyers. But after the first few hours in our test car, the novelty of the styling and roof wore off and it became hard to think of the MKZ as anything else but a loaded Fusion?one that costs roughly $20,000 more. This is a major problem for Lincoln. The MKZ is the first of seven new or refreshed models coming in the next three years, so the brand has plenty more opportunities to change consumers' perceptions. But at this moment and in this economy, we'd pass on the MKZ and option-out a premium sedan instead.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/2013-lincoln-mkz-test-drive?src=rss

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Cameron promises Britons straight choice on EU exit

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron promised on Wednesday to give Britons a referendum choice on whether to stay in the European Union or leave if he wins an election in 2015, placing a question mark over Britain's membership for years.

Cameron ended months of speculation by announcing in a speech the plan for a vote sometime between 2015 and the end of 2017, shrugging off warnings that this could imperil Britain's economic prospects and alienate its biggest trading partner.

He said the island nation, which joined the EU's precursor European Economic Community 40 years ago, did not want to retreat from the world, but public disillusionment with the EU was at "an all-time high".

"It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time for us to settle this question about Britain and Europe," Cameron said. His Conservative party will campaign for the 2015 election promising to renegotiate Britain's EU membership.

"When we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in or out choice to stay in the European Union on these new terms; or come out altogether. It will be an in-out referendum."

The speech firmly ties Cameron to an issue that was the bane of a generation of Conservative leaders. In the past, he has avoided partisan fights over Europe, the undoing of the last two Conservative prime ministers, John Major and Margaret Thatcher.

Britain would seek to claw back powers from Brussels, he said, a proposal that will be difficult to sell to other European countries. London will do an "audit" to determine which powers Brussels has that should be delegated to member states.

Sterling fell to its lowest in nearly five months against the dollar on Wednesday as Cameron was speaking.

The response from EU partners was predictably frosty. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius quipped: "If Britain wants to leave Europe we will roll out the red carpet for you," echoing Cameron himself, who once used the same words to invite rich Frenchmen alienated by high taxes to move to Britain.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said his country wanted Britain to remain a full EU member, but London could not expect to pick and choose the aspects of membership it liked.

Business leaders have warned that the prospect of years of doubt over Britain's EU membership would damage the investment climate.

"Having a referendum creates more uncertainty and we don't need that," Martin Sorrell, chief executive of advertising giant WPP, told the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"This is a political decision. This is not an economic decision. This isn't good news. You added another reason why people will postpone investment decisions."

The speech also opens a rift with Cameron's junior coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats. Their leader, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, said the plan would undermine a fragile economic recovery.

And even allies further afield are wary: the United States has said it wants Britain to remain inside the EU with "a strong voice".

EUROSCEPTICS THRILLED

Cameron has been pushed into taking such a strong position in part by the rise of the UK Independence Party, which favours complete withdrawal from the EU and has climbed to third in opinion polls, mainly at the expense of the Conservatives.

"All he's trying to do is to kick the can down the road and to try and get UKIP off his back," said UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Eurosceptics in Cameron's party were thrilled by the speech. Conservative lawmaker Peter Bone called it "a terrific victory" that would unify 98 percent of the party. "He's the first prime minister to say he wants to bring back powers from Brussels," Bone told Reuters. "It's pretty powerful stuff".

Whether Cameron will ever hold the referendum remains as uncertain as the Conservatives' chances of winning the next election in 2015.

They trail the opposition Labour party in opinion polls, and the coalition government is grappling with a stagnating economy as it pushes through public spending cuts to reduce Britain's large budget deficit.

Cameron said he would prefer Britain, the world's sixth biggest economy, to remain inside the 27-nation EU. As long as he secured the reforms he wants, he would campaign for Britain to stay inside the EU "with all my heart and soul".

But he also made clear he believed the EU must be radically reformed. It was riskier to maintain the status quo than to change, he said.

"The biggest danger to the European Union comes not from those who advocate change, but from those who denounce new thinking as heresy," he said.

"WAFER THIN" CONSENT

The euro zone debt crisis was forcing the bloc to change, and Britain would fight to make sure new rules were fair to countries that didn't use the common currency, he said. Britain is the largest of the 10 EU members that do not use the euro.

Democratic consent for the EU in Britain was now "wafer thin", he said, reflecting the results of opinion polls that show a slim majority would vote to leave the bloc.

"Some people say that to point this out is irresponsible, creates uncertainty for business and puts a question mark over Britain's place in the European Union," said Cameron. "But the question mark is already there: ignoring it won't make it go away."

Asked after the speech whether other EU countries would agree to renegotiate Britain's membership, Cameron said he was an optimist and that there was "every chance of success."

"I want to be the prime minister who confronts and gets the right answer for Britain on these kind of issues," he said.

It is nearly 40 years since British voters last had a say in a referendum on Britain's membership of the European club. A 1975 vote saw just over 67 percent opt to stay inside with nearly 33 percent wanting to leave.

(Additional reporting by Paul Taylor in Davos and Alexandra Hudson in Berlin; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cameron-promises-referendum-eu-membership-083926841--business.html

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Evidence grows for narcolepsy link to GSK swine flu shot

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Emelie Olsson is plagued by hallucinations and nightmares. When she wakes up, she's often paralyzed, unable to breathe properly or call for help. During the day she can barely stay awake, and often misses school or having fun with friends. She is only 14, but at times she has wondered if her life is worth living.

Emelie is one of around 800 children in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe who developed narcolepsy, an incurable sleep disorder, after being immunized with the Pandemrix H1N1 swine flu vaccine made by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline in 2009.

Finland, Norway, Ireland and France have seen spikes in narcolepsy cases, too, and people familiar with the results of a soon-to-be-published study in Britain have told Reuters it will show a similar pattern in children there.

Their fate, coping with an illness that all but destroys normal life, is developing into what the health official who coordinated Sweden's vaccination campaign calls a "medical tragedy" that will demand rising scientific and medical attention.

Europe's drugs regulator has ruled Pandemrix should no longer be used in people aged under 20. The chief medical officer at GSK's vaccines division, Norman Begg, says his firm views the issue extremely seriously and is "absolutely committed to getting to the bottom of this", but adds there is not yet enough data or evidence to suggest a causal link.

Others - including Emmanuel Mignot, one of the world's leading experts on narcolepsy, who is being funded by GSK to investigate further - agree more research is needed but say the evidence is already clearly pointing in one direction.

"There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Pandemrix increased the occurrence of narcolepsy onset in children in some countries - and probably in most countries," says Mignot, a specialist in the sleep disorder at Stanford University in the United States.

30 MILLION RECEIVED PANDEMRIX

In total, the GSK shot was given to more than 30 million people in 47 countries during the 2009-2010 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Because it contains an adjuvant, or booster, it was not used in the United States because drug regulators there are wary of adjuvanted vaccines.

GSK says 795 people across Europe have reported developing narcolepsy since the vaccine's use began in 2009.

Questions about how the narcolepsy cases are linked to Pandemrix, what the triggers and biological mechanisms might have been, and whether there might be a genetic susceptibility are currently the subject of deep scientific investigation.

But experts on all sides are wary. Rare adverse reactions can swiftly develop into "vaccine scares" that spiral out of proportion and cast what one of Europe's top flu experts calls a "long shadow" over public confidence in vaccines that control potential killers like measles and polio.

"No-one wants to be the next Wakefield," said Mignot, referring to the now discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield who sparked a decades-long backlash against the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot with false claims of links to autism.

With the narcolepsy studies, there is no suggestion that the findings are the work of one rogue doctor.

Independent teams of scientists have published peer-reviewed studies from Sweden, Finland and Ireland showing the risk of developing narcolepsy after the 2009-2010 immunization campaign was between seven and 13 times higher for children who had Pandemrix than for their unvaccinated peers.

"We really do want to get to the bottom of this. It's not in anyone's interests if there is a safety issue that needs to be addressed," said GSK's Begg.

LIFE CHANGED

Emelie's parents, Charles and Marie Olsson, say she was a top student who loved playing the piano, taking tennis lessons, creating art and having fun with friends. But her life started to change in early 2010, a few months after she had Pandemrix. In the spring of 2010, they noticed she was often tired, needing to sleep when she came home from school.

But it wasn't until May, when she began collapsing at school, that it became clear something serious was happening.

As well as the life-limiting bouts of daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy brings nightmares, hallucinations, sleep paralysis and episodes of cataplexy - when strong emotions trigger a sudden and dramatic loss of muscle strength.

In Emelie's case, having fun is the emotional trigger. "I can't laugh or joke about with my friends any more, because when I do I get cataplexies and collapse," she said in an interview at her home in the Swedish capital.

Narcolepsy is estimated to affect between 200 and 500 people per million and is a lifelong condition. It has no known cure and scientists don't really know what causes it. But they do know patients have a deficit of a brain neurotransmitter called orexin, also known as hypocretin, which regulates wakefulness.

Research has found that some people are born with a variant in a gene known as HLA that means they have low hypocretin, making them more susceptible to narcolepsy. Around 25 percent of Europeans are thought to have this genetic vulnerability.

When results of Emelie's hypocretin test came back in November last year, it showed she had 15 percent of the normal amount, typical of heavy narcolepsy with cataplexy.

The seriousness of her strange new illness has forced her to contemplate life far more than many other young teens: "In the beginning I didn't really want to live any more, but now I have learned to handle things better," she said.

TRIGGERS?

Scientists investigating these cases are looking in detail at Pandemrix's adjuvant, called AS03, for clues.

Some suggest AS03, or maybe its boosting effect, or even the H1N1 flu itself, may have triggered the onset of narcolepsy in those who have the susceptible HLA gene variant.

Angus Nicoll, a flu expert at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), says genes may well play a part, but don't tell the whole story.

"Yes, there's a genetic predisposition to this condition, but that alone cannot explain these cases," he said. "There was also something to do with receiving this specific vaccination. Whether it was the vaccine plus the genetic disposition alone or a third factor as well - like another infection - we simply do not know yet."

GSK is funding a study in Canada, where its adjuvanted vaccine Arepanrix, similar to Pandemrix, was used during the 2009-2010 pandemic. The study won't be completed until 2014, and some experts fear it may not shed much light since the vaccines were similar but not precisely the same.

It all leaves this investigation with far more questions than answers, and a lot more research ahead.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

In his glass-topped office building overlooking the Maria Magdalena church in Stockholm, Goran Stiernstedt, a doctor turned public health official, has spent many difficult hours going over what happened in his country during the swine flu pandemic, wondering if things should have been different.

"The big question is was it worth it? And retrospectively I have to say it was not," he told Reuters in an interview.

Being a wealthy country, Sweden was at the front of the queue for pandemic vaccines. It got Pandemrix from GSK almost as soon as it was available, and a nationwide campaign got uptake of the vaccine to 59 percent, meaning around 5 million people got the shot.

Stiernstedt, director for health and social care at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, helped coordinate the vaccination campaign across Sweden's 21 regions.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the 2009-2010 pandemic killed 18,500 people, although a study last year said that total might be up to 15 times higher.

While estimates vary, Stiernstedt says Sweden's mass vaccination saved between 30 and 60 people from swine flu death. Yet since the pandemic ended, more than 200 cases of narcolepsy have been reported in Sweden.

With hindsight, this risk-benefit balance is unacceptable. "This is a medical tragedy," he said. "Hundreds of young people have had their lives almost destroyed."

PANDEMICS ARE EMERGENCIES

Yet the problem with risk-benefit analyses is that they often look radically different when the world is facing a pandemic with the potential to wipe out millions than they do when it has emerged relatively unscathed from one, like H1N1, which turned out to be much milder than first feared.

David Salisbury, the British government's director of immunization, says "therein lies the risk, and the difficulty, of working in public health" when a viral emergency hits.

"In the event of a severe pandemic, the risk of death is far higher than the risk of narcolepsy," he told Reuters. "If we spent longer developing and testing the vaccine on very large numbers of people and waited to see whether any of them developed narcolepsy, much of the population might be dead."

Pandemrix was authorized by European drug regulators using a so-called "mock-up procedure" that allows a vaccine to be authorized ahead of a possible pandemic using another flu strain. In Pandemrix's case, the substitute was H5N1 bird flu.

When the WHO declared a pandemic, GSK replaced the mock-up's strain with the pandemic-causing H1N1 strain to form Pandemrix.

GSK says the final H1N1 version was tested in trials involving around 3,600 patients, including children, adolescents, adults and the elderly, before it was rolled out.

The ECDC's Nicoll says early warning systems that give a more accurate analysis of a flu strain's threat are the best way to minimize risks of this kind of tragedy happening in future.

Salisbury agrees, and says progress towards a universal flu vaccine - one that wouldn't need last-minute changes made when a new strain emerged - would cuts risks further.

"Ideally, we would have a better vaccine that would work against all strains of influenza and we wouldn't need to worry about this ever again," he said. "But that's a long way off."

With scientists facing years of investigation and research, Emelie just wants to make the best of her life.

She reluctantly accepts that to do so, she needs a cocktail of drugs to try to control the narcolepsy symptoms. The stimulant Ritalin and the sleeping pill Sobril are prescribed for Emelie's daytime sleepiness and night terrors. Then there's Prozac to try to stabilize her and limit her cataplexies.

"That's one of the things that makes me feel most uncomfortable," she explains. "Before I got this condition I didn't take any pills, and now I have to take lots - maybe for the rest of my life. It's not good to take so many medicines, especially when you know they have side effects."

(This story has been corrected to insert full name in first paragraph)

(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Will Waterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-evidence-grows-narcolepsy-gsk-swine-flu-shot-070212916--finance.html

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SOME OPPOSITION

Two signs held by people on Pennsylvania Avenue going toward the Capitol: "God Hates Obama" and "America Is Doomed."

? Darlene Superville ? Twitter http://twitter.com/dsupervilleap

___

Inauguration Watch follows the events of President Barack Obama's second inaugural. Look for short items and photos throughout the day.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/opposition-160205469.html

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White House Declines Death Star Undertaking, Cites Budget Constraints

Enemies of the Pentagon will not witness the power of a fully operational battle station anytime soon.

Last month an online petition to the White House site We the People that called for the construction of the Death Star from the "Star Wars" movies surpassed the 25,000 signature threshold required to initiate an official response.

Citing national security and the number of jobs the initiative would create, the petition gained 34,000 signatures.

On Friday Paul Shawcross of the Office of Management and Budget, showed he was up for satire and responded in kind, issuing a tongue-in-cheek address to the demand for a space station capable of obliterating entire planets.

READ: Top Five Oddball Petitions on WhiteHouse.gov

A chief obstacle, he said, was the budget.

"The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850 quadrillion. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it," OMB's science and technology officer wrote, using figures drawn from Lehigh University business students.

For perspective, the World Bank estimates the combined GDP of all nations to rest at $70 trillion. It would take the Earth 12,000 years to fund construction.

Regardless of cost, Shawcross said President Obama "does not support blowing up planets" as a matter of foreign policy.

The administration also made much of the Death Star's known weakness: A single rebel pilot could destroy it.

"Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star ? that can be exploited by a one-man starship?"

Getting serious, Shawcross used his message to highlight science and educational opportunities available to students.

"You'll notice something already floating in the sky - that's no moon, it's a space station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-size International Space Station in orbit around Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations," he wrote as he trumped the recent series of robotic Mars rovers landed by NASA and leaps by the private space industry.

PHOTOS: Star Wars Engagement Shoot

Shawcross listed other developments in the sciences, including advances in prosthetic limb replacement - or as he called it, movie hero Luke Skywalker's robotic arm.

"We are living in the future! Enjoy it," he said. "Or better yet, help build it by pursuing a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field.

The White House did divulge one secret in what may be described as a Friday-night document dump: the metaphysical powers of "the Force" are real.

"If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force."

Despite what a letdown this must be for "Star Wars" fans, they can take heart. The Defense Department has routinely used science fiction to inspire its research. As originally reported by Wired magazine, the Pentagon even used the Death Star itself in experiments on funding appropriations and cost-versus-benefit analysis.

Read the full White House response here.

Many Bothans died contributing to this report.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-declines-death-star-undertaking-cites-budget-174205540--abc-news-politics.html

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The Philadelphia Eagles Can't Buy A Coach

We've had our laughs about the various coaching firings and hirings in the NFL in the wake of the NFL's Black Monday: Getting rid of Lovie Smith made no sense, Rex Ryan went to the Bahamas and everyone thought maybe he'd been fired, Doug Marrone got hired on the strength of sort of turning around Syracuse, Ron Chudzinski has a funny name. The coaching carousel is always fun. This time of the NFL season, however?the time in which good teams are locked in playoff battles and hope springs eternal for bad teams with new coaches and high draft picks?gets less funny and more farcical the longer a coaching search goes on.

A while back, Chip Kelly was the man for the Eagles, stolen away from the Browns, wined and dined, and triumphantly brought into the fold, heralding a new day. That fell apart when Kelly spurned both the Browns and the Eagles to return to Oregon. Then, all eyes looked to Brian Kelly, who was the leading candidate for the Eagles job as recently as yesterday. The two parties had meetings this week, but this afternoon, Kelly announced his return to Notre Dame:

So another one bites the dust. Bruce Arians and Jay Gruden are on their list too, but it's safe to say people in Philadelphia are getting restless. Is there anyone out there with the celebrity and bombast to satisfy Philly fans? Is there anyone out there with the heft to fill Andy Reid's couch groove? The Eagles' front office had better dispatch someone to whatever beach Rob Ryan is on, and quick:

[Twitter]

Update, 6:36 p.m.: The Eagles released a statement that addresses this line of thought about their coaching search:

There is no question we spent a considerable amount of time and effort looking at who we thought were the best collegiate candidates for our head coaching job. We did so knowing that there was a remote chance that these coaches would leave their current posts.

We understood that going into the process, but we wanted to leave no stone unturned while trying to find the best head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. We have no regrets about the effort we made in that direction and we will continue to proceed as planned in our search.

Source: http://deadspin.com/5975484/the-philadelphia-eagles-cant-buy-a-coach

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Kaepernick delivers, 49ers beat Packers 45-31

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) runs for a 56-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter of an NFC divisional playoff NFL football game in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) runs for a 56-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter of an NFC divisional playoff NFL football game in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) celebrates after running for touchdown with tight end Vernon Davis during the first quarter of an NFC divisional playoff NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) returns an interception for a touchdown as he dives past San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the first quarter of an NFC divisional playoff NFL football game in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) celebrates with outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) after returning an interception from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for a touchdown during the first quarter of an NFC divisional playoff NFL football game in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (89) celebrates after scoring on a 20-yard touchdown reception with wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) during the second quarter of an NFC divisional playoff NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? The unproven kid thoroughly beat the former Super Bowl champion and reigning MVP.

With a strong arm that allowed him to pick the Packers apart from the pocket and speedy legs that helped him break free for big gains, Colin Kaepernick did a little bit of everything in a record-setting, sensational playoff debut ? and Aaron Rodgers just couldn't keep up.

Kaepernick passed for 263 yards and ran the San Francisco 49ers right back to the NFC championship game with a 45-31 win over Green Bay in an NFC divisional game Saturday night.

Kaepernick rushed for a quarterback playoff record 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw two scoring passes to Michael Crabtree. Next up for the Niners: a game on Jan. 20 for a spot in the Super Bowl, against the winner of Sunday's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Falcons at Atlanta.

"It feels good. We're one step closer to where we want to be," Kaepernick said. "I feel like I had a lot to prove. A lot of people doubted my ability to lead this team."

And what a playoff debut it was by the second-year pro making just his eighth NFL start. No doubting Jim Harbaugh's big midseason gamble switching quarterbacks now.

Rodgers never got in sync for the Packers (12-6), finishing 26 of 39 for 257 yards with two touchdowns.

Kaepernick ran for scores of 20 and 56 yards on the way to topping the rushing mark of 119 yards set by Michael Vick in 2005 against St. Louis. Crabtree caught TD passes of 12 and 20 yards in the second quarter and wound up with nine receptions and 119 yards for the Niners (12-4-1) in the NFC divisional matchup.

Kaepernick, sporting a burgundy beanie partially covering his head, was greeted at his locker after the game by former 49ers quarterback John Brodie.

San Francisco had 579 total yards with 323 on the ground, scoring its third-most points in the franchise's storied playoff history.

"Our offensive line did an amazing job today," Kaepernick said. "They shut everybody down inside. Our receivers, our tight ends, blocked great outside, and our running backs were running hard, so it made it easier on me."

Frank Gore and Anthony Dixon each added 2-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter for the No. 2 seed NFC West champions, slim favorites on their home field in a rematch of Week 1. They added to their memorable night by setting a franchise postseason record for yards rushing, 119 of those by Gore to complement Kaepernick.

Rodgers, the former Cal star passed up by San Francisco with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, never got going. Rodgers rooted for the Niners as a kid in Northern California.

This was another early exit for the Packers, who lost in the divisional playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants a year ago and were denied a chance to defend the title they won after the 2010 season.

Those Green Bay road stars of two years ago ? they won three away from Lambeau Field on the way to the Super Bowl ? didn't have it this time against San Francisco's stingy defense and a no-fear, second-year quarterback who would not be denied. A kid who was born in Milwaukee and grew up a big Green Bay fan until the day he was drafted in 2011 out of Nevada.

"I didn't know how fast he was," Green Bay defensive back Charles Woodson said. "Coming in I really never paid attention to it. But he is fast."

San Francisco advanced to back-to-back NFC title games for the first time since reaching three in a row following the 1992-94 seasons, with 1994 their last trip to the Super Bowl.

With the sellout crowd at Candlestick Park waving red flags reading "Quest for Six" ? a sixth Super Bowl title, that is ? Kaepernick did his part and then some to deliver in the first key step. Even after an early interception that gave Green Bay all the momentum in a hostile road stadium.

Kaepernick topped Vick's mark with the 56-yard keeper on an option play in the third quarter. That gave Kaepernick 163 yards on 12 carries, also setting a 49ers franchise record for the postseason.

"The execution for the 49ers on the read option was excellent, but our issues were bigger than that," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We did not a very good job of keeping him the pocket. He was able to get out of the pocket for a number of big conversions."

Kaepernick joined Jay Cutler in 2011 and Otto Graham in both 1954 and '55 as the only players with two rushing and two passing touchdowns in a playoff game.

David Akers kicked a 36-yard field goal moments before halftime to give San Francisco a 24-21 lead at intermission after Green Bay tried to ice the struggling veteran by calling timeout before his kick.

Mason Crosby's 31-yard field goal tied the game at 24 midway through the third quarter, then Kaepernick took over again. San Francisco's defense handled the rest.

Kaepernick had 11 carries for 107 yards rushing by halftime.

Pick six, no problem.

The strong-armed Kaepernick brushed off the interception he tossed on the fourth play of the game that Sam Shields ran back 52 yards for a touchdown, then took control with his pinpoint passing to his favorite go-to guy ? Crabtree ? and with his quick-burst ability out of the pocket.

"He does a great job of responding," Harbaugh said. "He has done that any time there has been an interception he has thrown, a safety or a turnover, he's responded with a scoring drive. That's rare. I think that's a rare quality. So far he's shown that he's got that ability to come back."

San Francisco, fueled all year by its near miss in overtime of the NFC title game, made it two victories against Rodgers and Co. this season after a 30-22 Week 1 win at Lambeau Field.

Kaepernick bounced back from the early interception and again after a second-quarter taunting penalty in which he threw the ball down in the face of safety M.D. Jennings after being hit by Jennings and Erik Walden. Center Jonathan Goodwin grabbed Kaepernick in an effort to settle him down after his 15-yard run was negated by the 15-yard flag.

Two plays later, Kaepernick found Crabtree for his 20-yard TD as San Francisco capitalized on another Packers turnover.

Rodgers answered right back on the Packers' next chance, driving his team 80 yards on six plays and hitting James Jones on a 20-yard touchdown of his own that tied the game at 21. Green Bay got help from a 15-yard personal foul penalty by Dashon Goldson for a helmet-to-helmet hit on DuJuan Harris.

"We felt like we gift-wrapped them 14 points off turnovers in the first half and our defense was playing all right," Rodgers said. "And then we just didn't get it done in the second half. I knew we were going to have to score some points. We knew we were going to have to put up at least 38 points."

Former California receiver Jeremy Ross fumbled Andy Lee's punt early in the second and C.J. Spillman recovered as San Francisco got the ball back at the 9. Kaepernick threw a 12-yard TD pass to Crabtree three plays later.

Rodgers' streak of 183 passes without an interception spanning the previous five games ended when Tarell Brown picked off the ball on a deep third-down throw in the second quarter.

"We expected them to try to get him out on the perimeter. But we didn't expect to let him do what he did," Woodson said. "Give him a lot of credit. He played a great game. He made a lot of great plays out there today. It was hard to swallow."

Harris ran 18 yards for a score in the final minute of the first quarter as Green Bay took a 14-7 lead. Rodgers connected with James Jones on a 44-yard completion one play earlier before Harris easily ran right up the middle into the end zone for a Packers team that managed 45 total yards rushing in the season-opening loss.

Such moments were few against a 49ers defense happy to welcome back All-Pro lineman Justin Smith after he missed the final two regular-season games with a partially torn left triceps muscle.

Notes: The Green Bay defense gave up the most total yards (579), yards rushing (323) and second-most points in the playoffs in franchise history. ... San Francisco improved to 13-3 at home in divisional playoff games. ... The 49ers had 48 offensive plays in the first half to 20 by Green Bay.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-13-FBN-Packers-49ers/id-eceb4cdb214c47ceb2092da6001b62fd

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Vodafone says some customers hit by Blackberry problems

LONDON (Reuters) - Mobile operator Vodafone said on Friday some of its customers were not receiving emails via their Blackberry phones, and that it was working with the handset maker Research in Motion to rectify the problem.

A spokeswoman for Blackberry said it was looking into the issue but did not have any details. Commentators on Twitter also reported problems with the handset.

"We are aware that some BlackBerry customers are experiencing issues," Vodafone said.

"Vodafone is working closely with Research in Motion (RIM) to restore full service as soon as possible. As soon as we have further information we will provide additional updates," the British operator said.

(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Mark Potter)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vodafone-says-customers-hit-blackberry-problems-111254861--finance.html

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Breast feeding does not prevent eczema in children | fitness health ...

European countries have consistently initiative broad young parents, delayed breast feeding time in order to reduce the incidence of eczema in children.But, according to the British ?Daily Mail? in August 24 daily now, people on the egg yolk with more comprehensive understanding, found in the yolk of certain nutrients, such as iron, not easy to be baby absorption., ?British Journal of Dermatology? published by a British and German scientists with complete new research spread propaganda, breast feeding is not the prevention of childhood eczema.

From the University of London Kings College, University of Nottingham and University of Ulm scientists link for the query access from Europe, Latin America, touch, Africa and Asia 21 countries 51119 8? 12 year old child.Scientists after the process of questionnaire inquiry parents access function differentiation, get tested child coherent data.For example, eczema attack scene, scene, breast feeding and weaning time.The tested children also receive eczema and skin prick skin test check the scene (mites and other allergens) check.

Scientists create, whether in developed countries or in the development of Chinese home, delayed weaning and delayed breast feeding time is unable to land of childhood eczema morbidity due to the lack of recognition of children, fear and mental weariness..Pure breast feeding children over the age of 4 months, the eczema attack rate is not lower than the earlier weaning of children.

University of London Kings College Carsten middot; Dr. Flor suggests such as excessive can cause poisoning, loss of appetite, vomiting, blood calcium had appeared the phenomenon of higher.Should the UK breast feeding, ?guide? on eczema content review, modification refresh.For ldquo in breast feeding; which links and how to give baby to add solid food in order to reduce eczema and other allergic disease risk ? problem at the age of 5 years, these children underwent an IQ test., needs further study on.

Dr. Flor also reiterated, breast feeding and other benefits are still very important.The UK Department of Health Initiative exclusive breast feeding for 6 months in children, to add complementary, still need to breast feeding for a period of time.Chen Zonglun.

Diets to lose weight fast

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Source: http://fitness-health-magazine.lu72.com/20130103/breast-feeding-does-not-prevent-eczema-in-children.html

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How to Set Your Retail Business Up for Success in 2013: The 3 ...

For most businesses January means saying goodbye to the hustle and bustle of a mere month earlier. As things slow down and the new year gets its start, it?s important for retailers to pause, review the previous year, and make sure they have a plan?or, rather, plans?in place for the one ahead.

There are three plans in particular every retail business needs:

Marketing Plan
Buying Plan
Cash Flow Plan

Without these three plans and a good understanding of how each one works?and how they work together?consistent year over year growth is practically impossible, says Bill McBean, author of The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows That You Don?t.

?Consistent growth will not occur because the net result of this lack of understanding will result in continual crisis management based around the lack of cash to operate the business properly, or a combination of too much inventory, some of which is very slow to turn, and a marketing and advertising plan dictated by the crisis and cash restraints,? he explains. All of that can be avoided, however, with a bit of planning up front.

A marketing plan will describe the strength of the market, what products will turn (sell) the fastest, and what products will provide the most gross profit, explains McBean?things that you hopefully understand fairly well. Yet you should note any recent changes or trends as you create your new plan for the new year.

From there, plan out what external marketing and internal marketing strategies you?d like to use this year. Set up a schedule based on holidays and sales events; that schedule can then be used to determine when external marketing is needed and what products to place in internal hot spots (premium places on the sales floor like endcaps or displays) to help promote them in coordination with external marketing efforts (such as advertisements).

For example, a Valentine?s Day promotion might include an external campaign urging customers to come into the store for ?something sweet for that person they?re sweet on? and then the store might locate chocolates and flowers in premium spots within the store.

If a retailer overstocks on low margin products, it can disrupt cash flow; but if the store under stocks on the products that bring customers into the store regularly, they?ll lose customer loyalty. This is where creating a buying plan comes into play.

The buying plan should include regularly stocked goods and new products, as well as plans for how often the store will need to restock. This should be based off a combination of the previous year?s sales and expected sales growth for the upcoming year.

McBean says it?s also important to note that there are two common mistakes many retailers make when it comes to their buying plan:

Buying What?s Cheap ? ?They fall into the trap of buying something not in their marketing plan because it?s available at so cheap a price, forgetting it?s cheap for a reason?low demand.?

Over Buying Products in Demand ? ?Many retailers make the mistake of over buying products in high demand. These products can quickly become very competitive in terms of selling price, which means the gross profit available on these products gets squeezed because of the price competition. If this becomes an issue, products that can contribute additional gross profit have to become a consideration. The buying decision is a balance in which the marketing plan and gross profits have to be considered.?

Retailers should keep these things in mind as they create their buying plan and update it throughout the year.

The last?but definitely not least important?plan that every retailer should have is a cash flow plan. Poor cash flow is one of the most common reason small businesses fail. Your cash flow plan should show how much money you expect to flow in and out of your business over a given period of time.

?Cash flow plans are critical, especially for new or expanding businesses,? says McBean. ?Without the understanding of your cash requirements, mistakes in decision making will occur?not maybe, will?because cash burn decisions impact so many areas of the business, from reducing debt requirements to payroll to increasing marketing and advertising to equipment purchasing decisions to additional inventory to paying bills, and so on.?

It?s essential that outgoing products bring in enough revenue to meet expenses while leaving additional cash on the balance sheet for investments that will help the business grow.

A cash plan includes both expenses and income. You need to make sure that the money coming in exceeds the money going out during each given period. Even if overall profits are high, if those profits don?t come until fourth quarter you?ll have trouble paying vendors during the first three quarters of the year.

The Boy Scout motto is ?always be prepared.? That?s an important lesson; unfortunately it?s one that many retailers learn too late. ?Unfortunately the importance of preparation, and how to do it, gets far too little attention,? says McBean. He draws an analogy between running a business and playing a sport??Whether you play an individual or team sport, you probably spend about 90 percent of your time practicing and only 10 percent of your time in competition.?

Businesses should do the same when it comes to planning and preparation for the New Year?after all, he says, sports are just a game. Your business is your life.

Melissa Breau

Melissa Breau is a freelance writer and editor who likes long walks on the beach and arguing about comma placement. She specializes in helping small business owners put their passions into words. Her resume includes a Masters in Publishing and time spent at Pet Business Magazine, Columbia University Press and in the Manhattanville College Marketing Department. Catch her on twitter to chat: @melissabreau.

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