CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's presidency and prime minister said on Saturday security forces in North Sinai were working to return Coptic Christians living near Egypt's border with Israel to their homes after they fled in fear of attack from Islamist militants.
Nine Christian families living in Rafah near Egypt's border with Israel left their homes on Friday after Islamist militants made death threats and gunmen attacked a Coptic-owned shop.
Analysts say Islamists with possible al Qaeda links have gained a foothold in Sinai and the departure of the families could fuel concerns about religious tolerance and the rise of militancy after the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.
"The Coptic families quit their homes pre-emptively but the governor of North Sinai has given orders to return them to their homes and this is being carried out now," said Yasser Ali, presidential spokesman.
Two armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire on a Coptic-owned shop in Rafah on Wednesday but no one was injured.
Prime Minister Hisham Qandil said militants had not tried to force the Coptic families from the border town and they had left of their own accord. However, death threats against the Copts had been printed on flyers circulating in the desert area.
"We must uproot fear and provide all security measures to every citizen," Qandil said.
Israel has voiced concern about security in Sinai, where at least four cross-border attacks have taken place since Mubarak was toppled in February 2011.
Egypt's new president, Mohamed Mursi, has vowed to restore order. But efforts to impose central authority are complicated by the indigenous Bedouin population's ingrained hostility to the government in Cairo. (Writing by Marwa Awad; Editing by Sophie Hares)
If you thought filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy was the final chapter in LightSquared's wireless network saga, you'd be wrong. Hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone is back at the FCC's doorstep with yet another proposal, which he hopes might snatch the maligned network from the jaws of GPS interference-related troubles. Two filings placed with the commission apparently outline plans to use its broadband network in a way that it believes won't interfere with GPS signals, along with the 5MHz of spectrum that are known not to cause any issues. Along with the proposed changes, LightSquared is reportedly set to ask for more time to have exclusive rights to propose a reorganization plan. If granted, this could finally mean some progress for the beleaguered project, but with investors worried that money being spent on this could be better-placed back in their pockets, Falcone will have everything crossed, while the FCC deliberates the situation.
I?m talking from experience when I tell you that the home internet business may fail without a plan. I have been working online for several years now, and I floundered for the first few years because I didn?t plan.At first I informed myself, learned all I could about how to build an business, how to build and maintain a WordPress blog, record building and marketing my business. As you go along, I ?reinvented? myself several times by changing markets and business types trying to find what I loved and what worked for me, all the while understanding the all techniques of the deal I possibly can. Sooner or later I understood that I needed to put all that education and instruction to work helping others to understand to make use of WordPress and the advertising needed to create their organizations on a great foundation for success.I love working from home. There is nothing a lot better than having the ability to come and go when I please, attend lunches and family excursions, play with my son in the middle of the day and remain in my jammies til noon if I need. When I feel just like it I could begin my day when I want to and quit. There?s just nothing a lot better than employed by yourself from home on the computer without any chef breathing down your neck. In the end, is not that the major the main home internet business appeal?Of course it is! Only problem is I wasn?t making much money. All of the benefits without any financial rewards. Now do not get me wrong. I worked hard, often working 12-14 hours a day and weekends to produce up for my ?flexible hours.? I?d learned to do anything I wanted to make a profitable business and then some. So why was I so darned broke? Why was I operating so much for so little?Does any of this problem? Are you currently only treading water like I was to keep afloat? Are you working constantly to make something happen without results?One evening I understood that so many of the advertising techniques I learned and used had dropped by the wayside. There just weren?t enough hours in the day to accomplish them anymore. I was working much too difficult for the minimal results I was getting. That is when I took an look at what I was doing and understood that I had stopped to plan everything out. With no strategy, a to complete list and possible goals, I become a blithering idiot. Because I?d never not had a plan before, I did not understand that about myself. I?m gambling you don?t get too far without a plan possibly, am I right?Planning is the glue that holds this whole internet factor together! Without it, you tend to chase every shiny object that glides across your monitor down every rabbit opening you can buy, do not you Alice? And you end up working a significant amount of with no desired outcome. I call that ?busy? work, perhaps not successful work.Without an agenda, there is no focus, no time constraints. This enables one to give an infinite amount to your self of time to complete an activity or task. Without time constraints, you end up taking all the time on the planet to obtain things done. A lot of active work and like I have been spying on you, right piddling around with nothing showing for it.I know, it?s? Nope, I only know because I?ve been there, done that how it works. I work with clients on a regular basis which can be struggling with this same issues. It is human nature. So just how do you repair it so you may become successful? You?ve to simply take the bull by the horns and become an adviser. Create regular, annual, weekly and daily programs, use always check lists, to complete lists, home timers, whatever it will take to help keep you centered and on the right track. Until you do, you will not make a lot of an income, if any.Over yesteryear many months I have experienced a bit if a business downturn as a result of family and health problems and recovery from surgery on my arm. I?ve kept every thing going, but have slacked off on applying some of the marketing, traffic, list building and monetizing methods that develop my business. I must get focused and serious again. How about you? Together we will conquer it in gear!
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The 10th annual Savannah River Cancer Foundation Golf Tournament, highlighting breast cancer education and awareness, will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. at the Golf Club at Cedar Creek. Proceeds of the event will directly benefit the foundation, which provides assistance to anyone affected by cancer in the CSRA.
The cost is $50 per person. The play format is four-person captain's choice. The cost includes range balls and lunch provided by Outback Steakhouse.
Prizes will be awarded to winners in the ladies division, men's division and Jack and Jill divisions. Kia of Augusta has provided the hole-in-one grand prize. A variety of items will be raffled off, as well.
Breast cancer survivors that attend will receive pink bracelets to wear as well as special recognition.
This year, Susan G. Komen for the Cure estimates there will be over 220,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer and nearly 40,000 deaths due to breast cancer in women. Susan G. Komen estimates there will be roughly 2,000 new cases of breast cancer in men and 400 deaths.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The registration deadline is Oct. 1. Golf club owner Hank Thurmond said the playing field has been full every year.
For more information, call the golf club at 648-4206. Registration forms are available at the club, 2475 Club Drive.
Samsung won permission Friday from the US Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington to have the three-month-long preliminary injunction against its Galaxy Tab 10.1 reconsidered, Reuters reported. The recent high-profile trial between Apple and Samsung left Samsung holding a huge bill for patent infringement of Apple?s iPhone and iPad products, but the Galaxy Tab injunction was based on a patent that the jury found had not been infringed by the Tab.
Since Samsung had appealed to a higher court to reverse the injunction decision in June before the jury?s decision in August, Judge Koh said she could not reverse her decision immediately after the trial. Now that the Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a reconsideration, Judge Koh can rule on whether the sales ban stands.?Koh does not necessarily have to reverse her preliminary injunction, but she has said she would do so provided she regains jurisdiction.
After the jury found Samsung?s Galaxy Tab 10.1 was not in violation of Apple?s D504,889 patent?the patent the injunction was based on?Apple filed a motion seeking a new judgment that the Tab 10.1 "infringes and dilutes Apple?s protectable iPad Trade Dress; that the Tab 10.1 infringes the D?889 patent; and that Samsung?s accused smartphones dilute Apple?s combination iPhone Trade Dress." The jury found that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 did infringe Apple patents, but not the one the injunction was based on.?Samsung seems likely to win this particular point, because Koh previously said "the sole basis for the June 26 Preliminary Injunction no longer exists."
Since the landmark jury trial in August, Apple and Samsung have been filing smaller appeals and motions to try to work out more favorable post-trial rulings for each. Last week, Apple asked for $707 million in additional damages from Samsung on top of the $1.05 billion originally awarded by the jury. Samsung asked for a re-trial due to the time constraints on argument and testimony that the Judge had ordered during the trial. Samsung is also arguing that the jury committed misconduct.
So iOS 6 has been out for over a week now, and that means everyone has had a chance to test out the new iOS 6 Maps apps for over a week. So what do you think of it? Is it the best Maps app ever? Is it okay with a few rough edges? Is it bad but you hope it gets better? Or is it a totally mapping disaster?
Back before Apple even announced the new Maps app at WWDC 2012, Rene wrote a post on what to expect in terms of both potential features and problems. And I dare say it's turned out to be pretty accurate. Do you think people were expecting too much? Or do you think Apple failed to deliver too much? Should Apple have done a better job warning users that there might be growing pains?
Apple can make beautiful map tiles and fancy flyover views all they want, but if the core map data isn't accurate, it's a big problem. If it's accurate in some places and terrible in others, that's still a big problem. Especially since Google doesn't seem likely to have a Google Maps app ready for the App Store any time soon, and the Google Maps mobile website is a stop-gap at best.
I know you've got an opinion on this one, so vote up top and tell me how you really feel in the comments!
Nissan joins General Motors Co., the maker of the Chevrolet Volt, in offering cheap leases and big discounts on electric cars.?
By Associated Press / September 28, 2012
In this April 2011 file photo, the Nissan Leaf is presented as the 2011 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show. Nissan is offering cheap leases and big discounts on the Leaf because of slow sales of the all-electric car.
Richard Drew/AP/File
Enlarge
Nissan is offering cheap leases and big discounts on the Leaf because of slow U.S. sales of the all-electric car.
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Nissan Motor Co. sold only 4,228 Leafs this year through August, almost a third fewer than a year ago.
It also has a big inventory of the cars nationwide. At the end of August it had enough 2012 models in stock to supply dealers for 114 days, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. Automakers consider a 60-day supply to be optimal.
Earlier this month, Nissan started offering Leafs for $219 per month with $2,999 down for 32 months. That's down from $249 per month earlier in the year.
Also, the TrueCar.com auto pricing site says Nissan raised discounts to $3,250 per Leaf in August from $850 in January.
The Leaf, which can go up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) on battery power from a single charge, starts at $36,050, including shipping.
Nissan joins General Motors Co., the maker of the Chevrolet Volt in offering cheap leases and big discounts on electric cars. The Volt is the Leaf's main competitor and Chevrolet is discounting the $40,000 car by up to $10,000, including a $249 per month lease deal.
The slow sales are a clear sign that Americans won't buy the expensive electric cars en masse unless the prices are cut, making them competitive with conventional vehicles. With the discounts, Volt sales have quadrupled this year to more than 13,000.
Both cars are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles. The credit is not included in the discounts.
Leaf sales were hurt in part because the company sent vehicles to all 50 states this year, cutting supplies to California, the No. 1 Leaf market last year, said David Reuter, a Nissan spokesman. The company sold almost 10,000 Leafs last year and had hoped to double that this year, he said.
"The sales overall have not met our expectations, but we're working hard to keep pushing," Reuter said.
Globally, Nissan has sold 38,000 Leafs so far this year and is on target to reach expectations of 40,000, he said.
About 70 percent of Leaf sales in the U.S. are purchases, with the rest leases, he said.
The discounts are on 2012 models. The 2013 models won't be at dealers until early next year, when Nissan begins producing them at a factory in Tennessee, Reuter said.
He also said Nissan has bought back two Leafs from customers in Arizona, where the company has received complaints that the batteries aren't holding as much electricity as they did when they were purchases. If the batteries don't hold as much electricity, the cars can't go as far on a charge.
But Reuter said all lithium-ion batteries, including those that power other electric cars and consumer electronics, lose capacity over time. The cars that were replaced had thousands of miles (kilometers) on them and the battery storage capacity loss was normal, he said.
Your head throbs after a night in Vegas. Your joints ache after a 10K. But your heart? You're less likely to realize something's wrong until something's really, really wrong. And that's troubling, given that cardiovascular diseases now account for nearly 1 in 3 deaths in America every year. Heart disease now leads the way as the number one killer of men. Worse, 38 percent of adults meet at least three of the seven criteria for "poor" heart health set out by the American Heart Association.
These five strategies will help keep your ticker going strong.
Assess Your Risk. "An assessment of cardiovascular risk factors--including a cholesterol test and blood pressure exam--should be done in early adulthood, say during one's twenties," says John Elefteriades, M.D., professor of surgery and director of the Aortic Institute at Yale. Those results will help determine your next move. If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease, a more thorough risk assessment should be one of your top priorities. Many doctors recommend an exam modeled after something called the Framingham Heart Study. It combines factors like age and blood pressure to determine your risk of heart disease, and gives you an actual percentage score. One version of the test relies on a complex algorithm, while the other is points-based. Go with the algorithm. It's more accurate, according to a study published in BMC Medicine.
Understand LDL. It's often cast as the villain, but not all LDL is as bad as it seems, says Ronald Krauss, M.D., senior scientist and director of atherosclerosis research at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute. New ways of studying cholesterol have shown that you can parse LDL into at least four sub-categories--some very bad, and some relatively benign. While researchers work on the best ways to laser-target the worst of the LDL, stick to more traditional methods. Have oatmeal for breakfast--it contains betaglucans, soluble fibers that help reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed in the intestines. Click here for 5 Cholesterol-Fighting Foods.
Consider These Tests. If your doctor needs to know more information about your risk, he has a few options. If you have a moderate to high risk of heart disease, your doctor may request a C-reactive protein (CRP) test. "CRP is an indicator of inflammation, or internal irritation, of the blood vessels. Fortunately, it can be brought down from high levels by exercise," says Elefteriades. There's also the CT scan, which allows a doctor to see directly if arterial buildup is an issue.
Watch Your Blood Pressure. Cutting your sodium intake alone won't always do the trick: In a recent review of seven studies, people who lowered their salt intake were just as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those who didn't limit sodium, according to research in the American Journal of Hypertension. Shedding pounds is a better solution: Getting in shape can yield as much as a 10- to 29-point drop in blood pressure. And regular aerobic exercise can make it fall another 10 points--it causes your blood vessels to expand and contract, which they'll need to do when you're stressed. In the office, keep a rubber ball nearby. Click here for The 3 Best New Cardio Workouts.
Look Beyond Total Cholesterol. Some tests can also give you a more detailed look into your cholesterol, if it's necessary. One of them is the non-HDL test. "I recommend that everyone gets it," says Krauss. "It's determined by simply subtracting HDL cholesterol from total cholesterol. These are both standard tests, so there's no special testing required."
Discover even more ways to keep your heart pumping strong with The Lean Belly Prescription, your no-diet, no-workout plan that's better than running 5 miles a day!
Timing a launch is one of the single most critical business decisions to be made, but many entrepreneurs get it wrong. The term "launch" holds different meanings to each entrepreneur. Some immediately think of a media blitz as the pillar of a launch, but I've seen many startups launch publicly much too early because they want their idea covered in every major news and trade outlet right away.
That comes secondary to developing a sustainable product or business model. It may seem counterintuitive, but it's best to avoid media blitz until you have fully fleshed out your idea.
Here are seven signs you're actually ready to launch publicly:
You must be your startup's biggest cheerleader, but don't fall into the excitement trap and forget the actual audience--and how your product makes life easier for them. Your focus shouldn't be on building a "cool tool," but rather a product that someone needs because it fills a void or solves a problem for them.
It's always risky to launch a product that is still in idea phase. The chances of gaining traction are not very high--and traction is especially important to investors. A good PR firm can initially work with an idea phase product to make it sound interesting and build an early user base, but they can't give you all of the users or feedback that's necessary for fine-tuning your product. Beta test instead. This provides valuable information on how to improve your product and gives you an idea of the public's reaction, both of which are crucial factors that contribute to a successful launch.
Surprisingly enough, some startups don't do their homework. I've seen firsthand three almost-identical companies launch within one month of each other, and it didn't end up well. It's imperative you know what else is out there so you can understand how you measure up to the competition.
What makes you different? How do you ensure that you're always one step ahead of what competitors are doing? And make sure not to miss the key opportunities that help you stand out from the crowd.
Hiring a PR firm to aid in your launch isn't about handing over the reins. It's only natural that a busy startup CEO doesn't necessarily have the time or energy to worry about the tactical details of your public relations plan, so it's important to delegate marketing/PR initiatives to a designated contact who will act as the bridge between your startup and the PR firm. This person should drive your overall market strategy and have an understanding of where the brand will stand in the future. He or she will help develop the story that you'll tell to the public over time, which leads into the next key sign that you're ready to launch publicly.
If you don't have a story, develop one. Journalists easily recognize weaknesses in the way you position your product and if they're doing their due diligence they will let everyone know what those weaknesses are. You must understand why your product is better than anyone else's and be ready to communicate that effectively.
Part of this process is poking holes to figure out who your users are and why your product is valuable to them. Cut out the fluff, especially in your elevator pitch. Howard Tullman said it best in his Built in Chicago blog: "What you can't basically say in ten minutes about your business or your idea really isn't worth saying."
PR comes into play once you've developed a compelling message that is easily understandable and resonates with consumers. At the end of the day, people want to know the "so what?" You'd be surprised how many times I've seen a startup CEO so close to their product or service they even they couldn't answer that basic question. Think of the most successful startups: I bet they were simple, solved a problem, catered to a key audience, and had long-term benefits.
Launching publicly isn't just about the now but the vision for where you're headed. You must create a roadmap not only for your initial product launch, but also a more advanced map for your long-term goals. You may not end up following the roadmap in its entirety, but having a visible plan of attack is the best way to keep yourself on track.
A shiny logo of a top-tier media outlet on your website is pretty, but that's not a solid metric for your launch. Consider the "why" and the overarching strategy that fits into your larger marketing mix. This is your chance to:
Tell a story
Shape your positioning
Build a foundation of awareness that will accumulate over time
Establish your credibility
Differentiate yourself
Focusing on vanity metrics--such as the sheer number of media placements you received this month--will only set you up for disappointment because it's not a strategic way of thinking about what delivers the best ROI.
Many startup CEOs will ask, "Why didn't Fast Company cover me again when they did just last month?" It's often more effective to respond back with the question, "What have you done that warrants their coverage again?" Media mentions aren't the only ROI for your business. We've done SEO analysis and found that some of the "small" placements actually provide the best search value. Once you understand this, you're one step closer to a successful public launch.
Your startup is your baby, and maybe you're even a little bit of a control freak because of that. That's okay, but once you launch to the public, you open yourself up for scrutiny. Ideally, you've established strong messaging and a solid product to avoid or fight the criticism, but psychologically, you need to put trust in the people around you that are handling your PR and marketing efforts.
Once your product is out there, it's out there. Then, the rollercoaster ride begins. This is why it's crucial to really be prepared, but also know when to pull the trigger. Don't let the fear of letting go of control stop you from stepping back once all of the puzzle pieces to your startup are in place.
It's important to keep in mind the "snowball effect of public relations." PR done right should build up over time and align with the growth of the startup. A big splash at first is great, but it's not the be-all end-all. Think about an overall strategy that makes sense and will provide the best ROI.
The best advice is to take a step back and evaluate the situation as objectively as you can. It's better to launch the right way than have to backtrack.
Mike is president of Walker Sands Communications, a public relations and marketing agency specializing in technology and startup clients. Follow Mike on Twitter.
For more from Mike, read 4 Key Opportunities Your Startup Shouldn't Miss.
RIM may be down, but the BlackBerry maker isn't out yet.?
By Matthew Shaer / September 25, 2012
The RIM subscriber count has actually climbed in recent months, RIM says. Here, a pile of BlackBerry phones.
Reuters
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The past couple of years have not been particularly kind to RIM, the Canada-based maker of the BlackBerry smartphone line. The PlayBook tablet flopped;?global sales shrank;?workers were laid off;?and?Jim Balsillie and Mike?Lazaridis, formerly the RIM co-CEOs, were pushed out in favor of COO?Thorsten Heins. Cue the takeover rumors and the snarky obituaries for a company that once sat at the top of the smartphone game.?
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But according to Reuters, those obits may have been a little premature. RIM tells Reuters today that its subscriber base has actually climbed as of late?? from 78 million at the beginning of 2012 to 80 million now. Reuters reports that many of the new RIM subscribers are in emerging markets, such as India, "where consumers are much more price conscious and where RIM's much-admired BlackBerry messaging platform gives it a big edge."
The subscriber numbers helped nudge RIM stock up three percent in trading today. So is RIM in the midst of a resurgence??
Well, the company would certainly like you to think so. Speaking at an event in?San Jose, Calif., Heins pointed to the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system, which is expected to launch on a range of RIM devices early next year.?"We recognize the need for change," Heins said at the event. "There is a new energy and a lot of fighting spirit at RIM."
We're somewhat less than fully convinced. Although RIM may still find a market among business users, the company has fallen well behind Apple and Google in both the inventiveness of its devices and the quality of its operating systems. Even if RIM knocks it out of the park with BlackBerry 10 ? which won't even launch until long after the holiday shopping season has concluded ? it will have a tough time catching up.?
RIM user? Drop us a line in the comments section. And to receive regular updates on how technology intersects daily life, follow us on?Twitter @venturenaut.
Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage. ? Confucius
I have been writing a scholarly paper on recipients of the Medal of Honor ? aka the Congressional Medal of Honor* ? which is the highest award for bravery that can be given to someone in the US Armed Forces. Since 1863, it has been awarded to 3400+ individuals. In all cases, the person performed an extraordinary deed entailing risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, usually in armed action against an opposing force. At least in recent decades, most Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously because the recipients died while performing the heroic deed that earned the award.
In my paper, I referred to the recipients collectively as ?men? but then fretted that maybe I was wrong. The popular movie Courage Under Fire notwithstanding, maybe some women had received the Medal of Honor, and the least I could do was to include them in my generalizations.
As I quickly discovered upon consulting Wikipedia, a woman (one) had been awarded the Medal of Honor: Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919), usually identified as a Union Civil War surgeon. She was born in Oswego, New York, in a family without sons. Her father expected his daughters to do a man?s work on the family farm, and they all did.
It is unclear whether she attended college, but at age 21, Mary Edwards Walker enrolled at Syracuse Medical College, one of the few schools in the United States that admitted female students. Tuition was $55 per term, and room and board in a dormitory was $1.50 per week. In 1855, after eighteen months of study, she earned her medical degree.
Dr. Walker had difficulty establishing an independent medical practice, and when the Civil War began, she volunteered her services to the Union Army and cared for wounded Soldiers on both sides of the conflict and their family members. After crossing battle lines, she was taken prisoner of war and served time in a Confederate prison. In 1865, she received the Medal of Honor. In 1917, it was rescinded (as were hundreds of others that had been awarded) because she was a civilian and ? strictly speaking ? her acts of bravery did not occur in the context of combat. However, her Medal was restored in 1977.
Intrigued by what I had read about Mary Edwards Walker, I wanted to learn more. I located an out-of-print biography of Dr. Walker, subtitled Above And Beyond. It was written by historian Dale L. Walker (2005). I took the step of actually buying the book because I thought (incorrectly, as it turned out) that the author might have been a descendant of Dr. Walker. Maybe he had some inside information about her and her life.
To my regret, the author had no inside information, for which I do not fault him. He was honest in noting that historical records were scant, and he did not try to fill in the blanks by making things up or extrapolating. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Dr. Walker was apparently not a prolific letter writer, and she did not keep a regular journal. What is known about her comes from official documents, letters by others that mentioned her, and newspaper stories**.
Another reason for the lack of information about Dr. Walker is that she may have been a spy for the Union Army and sworn to secrecy, a promise that if made was kept until her death. Historical records are not clear, although it is known that in 1864, she was arrested by Confederate forces, charged as a spy, and held in a Richmond prison until released in a prisoner exchange, a fact that supposedly amused her because the exchange signified that she was, at last, regarded as the equal of a man.
In any event, what the author of Dr. Walker?s biography did well was to depict the historical era in which she lived. Three things in particularly have stuck with me. First was the incredible difficulty faced by women in the 1800s, especially those who departed from what was expected. Women could not vote. Women could not easily acquire higher education, including medical education. And for those women who did earn a medical degree, acceptance by their male peers was almost impossible. So, although Dr. Walker tended to the ill and wounded throughout the Civil War, her appointment as a surgeon or even a surgeon?s assistant was strongly opposed by members of the medical establishment. She was not even paid for what she did except at the very end of the war.
Second was that when people in the mid-1800s communicated with those who were not in their immediate vicinity, they usually did so by letter. Or they took trips to see those with whom they wanted to talk. These trips could take days or even weeks. Contrast these practices with the modern world and its cell phones, e-mails, Facebook pages, and Skype calls. Despite what would seem to us formidable barriers to communication. Dr. Walker was in contact with such well-known individuals as Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Dorothea Dix, Susan B. Anthony, and Frederick Douglas, among others.
Third was the incredible loss of life of combatants in the Civil War. Between 1861 and 1865, some 650,000 American Soldiers (on both sides) lost their lives, about 300 fatalities per day and totaling almost 2% of the entire United States population at the time. This number exceeds the US combat deaths in each of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror. Many deaths during the Civil War occurred as physicians tried to treat the wounded. One of the practices was the routine amputation of damaged limbs, a practice against which Dr. Walker argued but to little effect. History proved her correct: Amputation should be a last resort and not something automatically done. Other innovations championed by Dr. Walker were a diet of fruits and vegetables, regular physical exercise, and strict cleanliness.
The biography of Dr. Walker was more of an appetizer than an entr?e, but it was a tantalizing one. Dr. Walker was one interesting and important individual who deserves much more attention from history than she seems to receive. Her life was indeed above and beyond.
* Because the award is given ?in the name of Congress,? it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor, but the actual name is simply the Medal of Honor.
** Indeed, newspaper stories about her were rather frequent because she attracted attention, not only for her accomplishments as a physician and as an activist promoting numerous causes from abolition to prohibition to family welfare to women?s suffrage but also because of the physical appearance she deliberately chose. Believing that the clothing typically worn by women of her era ? corsets, petticoats, and hoop skirts -- were not only constraining but unhygienic and unhealthy, she opted to wear clothing of her own design, typically trousers under a long-sleeved, high-necked, loose-waisted dress that fell just below her knees. She was often described as wearing men?s clothing ? which was hardly accurate ? and even arrested several times for supposedly so doing. But as she frequently said, ?I don?t wear men?s clothes. I wear my own clothes.? Even today, in a world that is more evolved in many ways, the attire of a powerful woman attracts attention in a way that the attire of a powerful man does not. Think Hillary Clinton and her well-chronicled pants suits. Plus ?a change, plus c'est la m?me chose. [The more things change, the more they stay the same.}
Reference
Walker, D. L. (2005). Mary Edwards Walker: Above and beyond. New York: Macmillan.
Each season is a great time for a holiday in Mauritius for all sorts of men and women as the temperature on the island is enjoyable all calendar year round it might be a bit cooler in the winter months about July to September. However, that would be appreciably overshadowed by all other factors these types of as beaches, cuisine, culture and sights.
Do not make your getaway in Mauritius a nightmare by not next the legal measures in moving into the paradise island. There are lawful implications of not planning via the immigration process. All ideas will be set to a halt, not to mention the shame and charges that go with it, additionally the probability of paying a handful of days in jail.
Grand Bay is 1 of the numerous fantastic waterfronts in the country side. It is genuinely by much the most attractive seaside to take a look at on the Mauritius tours. This seaside is outstanding for offshore fishing and performing h2o routines. There are in fact a great deal of holiday resorts finish with amazing places to eat serving delectable sea meals, magnificent lodge rooms, golf clubs along with other actions.
Both the Gold List Award of China and the Travelers? Alternative 2012 awards are a genuine testament to the One particular&Only Le Saint Geran as the great place for any traveller imagining of reserving lavish and pampering mauritius holidays.
Just off the east coast of the main island is Ile Aux Cerfs. This gorgeous island has some of the world?s best beach locations and is really easily accessible by boat. There are many facilities, so you are not left to scour the jungle for meals and water, and a variety of drinking water sports to hold you entertained. Ile Aux Cerfs beach front is a perfect spot for snorkelling with attractive tropical fish and coral close to the shore. It is also a extremely comforting atmosphere to sit again and appreciate undertaking nothing as the warm, relaxed seas delicately lap the white sandy shores.
The gorgeous Islands producing up Mauritius are undoubtedly heaven on earth thanks to photos related with sandy seashores, azure waters and also the lavish qualifications of mountains. Mauritius is truly marked with loads of points of desire that means vacationers expertise a unforgettable trip at the beautiful beach locations.
Mauritius is renowned for its crystal crystal clear h2o and solar kissed seashores, so its fairly apparent for you to think that it is a holiday of exclusively making the most of the beach locations. But that is not all. You can find much a lot more you could do in your trip in Mauritius. Starting from the sea and seashore actions to mountain hiking, golfing and seeking for the females. And likewise there are some purely natural miracles these kinds of as parks of Black River Gorges, Balaclava and Blue bay.
Just a couple of minutes generate from Grand Baie is the preferred seaside of Pereybere, which is a better spot for swimming because of to the absence of fishing boats and further waters than most lagoons about the island. This seashore is a favourite among the young lieu and there are plenty of routines to hold individuals entertained. It is also incredibly household helpful with excellent snorkelling, quiet surf and several amenities near by.
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ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2012) ? The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a sharp image of NGC 4634, a spiral galaxy seen exactly side-on. Its disk is slightly warped by ongoing interactions with a nearby galaxy, and it is crisscrossed by clearly defined dust lanes and bright nebulae.
NGC 4634, which lies around 70 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Coma Berenices, is one of a pair of interacting galaxies. Its neighbor, NGC 4633, lies just outside the upper right corner of the frame, and is visible in wide-field views of the galaxy. While it may be out of sight, it is not out of mind: its subtle effects on NGC 4634 are easy to see to a well-trained eye.
Gravitational interactions pull the neat spiral forms of galaxies out of shape as they get closer to each other, and the disruption to gas clouds triggers vigorous episodes of star formation. While this galaxy's spiral pattern is not directly visible thanks to our side-on perspective, its disk is slightly warped, and there is clear evidence of star formation.
Along the full length of the galaxy, and scattered around parts of its halo, are bright pink nebulae. Similar to the Orion Nebula in the Milky Way, these are clouds of gas that are gradually coalescing into stars. The powerful radiation from the stars excites the gas and makes it light up, much like a fluorescent sign. The large number of these star formation regions is a telltale sign of gravitational interaction.
The dark filamentary structures that are scattered along the length of the galaxy are caused by cold interstellar dust blocking some of the starlight.
Hubble's image is a combination of exposures in visible light produced by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2.
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As one of its daily deals, Pennywise offers the Rawlings Men's Baseball Sliding Shorts 3-Pack in White for $13.99. Coupon code "DEALNEWS1" drops them to $12.99. With one cent for shipping, that's $4.33/pair, tied with our mention from two weeks ago, and the lowest total price we could find. (Most merchants charge $20 of more for a single pair of these shorts.) They're available in sizes L/XL (34-40). Deal ends September 23 at 9 pm ET.
Which are more potent health advantages out of this spice, purchase whole cumin seed products and employ whole or grind them in your own b) Handled health care plans: They are attaining recognition and also have changed indemnity family health insurance policies in just about all spheres. Sometimes With no National Health Service as well as your doctor to consider proper care of you, you could discover it hard as well as That? s why increasingly more health conferences are now being arranged through the health organizations over the internet nowadays. People of the healthcare team Monitoring of potential contacts at these configurations continues to be started. Health Problems fidelis family connected by using steroid drugs Steroid drugs are categorised
Online investingis the buzzword these days that are in the minds of everybody when you have to operate after your stock brokers and agents to make investments. With on the web stock market trading, you can now do investments with just a couple of clicks of the mouse without having even leaving your residence or business office. There are so several possibilities to decide on from when you do on the web investment.
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Google has had a rough go of it in China. The company seems to fall farther and farther behind the home-grown search powerhouse Baidu. The latest battle Mountain View has been forced to concede is in the world of music. Google Music Search launched in 2009 as a legal alternative to Baidu's own tool that turned up primarily illicitly shared results. The service never took off, even with the backing of a local partner, and things only got worse when the web giant ceased censoring results and took it wares to Hong Kong. The fatal blow came last year when Baidu signed a licensing deal with One-Stop China -- a joint venture of Universal, Warner and Sony BMG. Since that day, you could argue that Google has only been postponing the inevitable. Today's announcement officially begins the countdown, and on October 19th Google Music Search will close its doors for good in China.
Astrochemistry enters a bold new era with ALMAPublic release date: 20-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dave Finley dfinley@nrao.edu 575-835-7302 National Radio Astronomy Observatory
New techniques revolutionizing study of the chemistry of the Universe
Combining the cutting-edge capabilities of the ALMA telescope with newly-developed laboratory techniques, scientists are opening a completely new era for deciphering the chemistry of the Universe. A research team demonstrated their breakthrough using ALMA data from observations of the gas in a star-forming region in the constellation Orion.
Using new technology both at the telescope and in the laboratory, the scientists were able to greatly improve and speed the process of identifying the "fingerprints" of chemicals in the cosmos, enabling studies that until now would have been either impossible or prohibitively time-consuming.
"We've shown that, with ALMA, we're going to be able to do real chemical analysis of the gaseous 'nurseries' where new stars and planets are forming, unrestricted by many of the limitations we've had in the past," said Anthony Remijan of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, VA.
ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is under construction on the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, at an elevation of 16,500 feet. When completed in 2013, its 66 high-precision antennas and advanced electronics will provide scientists with unprecedented capabilities to explore the Universe as seen at wavelengths between longer-wavelength radio and infrared.
Those wavelengths are particularly rich in clues about the presence of specific molecules in the cosmos. More than 170 molecules, including organic molecules such as sugars and alcohols, have been discovered in space. Such chemicals are common in the giant clouds of gas and dust in which new stars and planets are forming. "We know that many of the chemical precursors to life exist in these stellar nurseries even before the planets form," said Thomas Wilson of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
Molecules in space rotate and vibrate, and each molecule has a particular set of rotational and vibrational conditions that are possible for it. Each time a molecule changes from one such condition to another, a specific amount of energy is either absorbed or emitted, often as radio waves at very specific wavelengths. Each molecule has a unique pattern of wavelengths that it emits or absorbs, and that pattern serves as a telltale "fingerprint" identifying the molecule.
Scientists call the individual wavelengths in such a pattern spectral lines, because of their appearance in plots. A specific chemical can produce numerous spectral lines. The exact wavelength of each line can be measured, but that process is quite laborious and challenging. However, without such measurements, it has been difficult to identify many lines seen in astronomical observations. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the pattern of lines for a particular molecule changes with its temperature.
The breakthrough comes because of new technology that allows scientists to gather and analyze a broad swath of wavelengths at once, both with ALMA and in the laboratory.
"We now can take a sample of a chemical, test it in the laboratory, and get a plot of all its characteristic lines over a large range of wavelengths. We get the whole picture at once," said Frank DeLucia of the Ohio State University (OSU). "We can then model the characteristics of all the lines of a chemical at different temperatures," he added.
Armed with new OSU laboratory data for a few suspected molecules, the scientists then compared the patterns with those produced by observing the star-forming region with ALMA.
"The matchup was amazing," said Sarah Fortman, also from OSU. "Spectral lines that had been unidentified for years suddenly matched our laboratory data, verified the existence of specific molecules, and gave us a new tool to attack the complex spectra from regions in our Galaxy," she added. The first tests were done with ethyl cyanide (CH3CH2CN) because its existence in space was already well established and thus it provided a perfect test for this new method of analysis.
"In the past, there were so many unidentified lines that we called them 'weeds,' and they only confused our analysis. Now those 'weeds' are valuable clues that can tell us not only what chemicals are present in these cosmic gas clouds, but also can give important information about the conditions in those clouds," DeLucia said.
"This is a new era in astrochemistry," said Suzanna Randall of ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany. "These new techniques are going to revolutionize our understanding of the fascinating nurseries where new stars and planets are being born."
The new techniques, Remijan pointed out, also can be adapted to other telescopes, including the National Science Foundation's giant Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, and laboratory facilities such as those at the University of Virginia. "This is going to change the way astrochemists do business," Remijan said.
###
Randall, Remijan, Fortman, Wilson, and DeLucia worked with James McMillan and Christopher Neese of the Ohio State University. The scientists are publishing their research results in the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy.
ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Astrochemistry enters a bold new era with ALMAPublic release date: 20-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dave Finley dfinley@nrao.edu 575-835-7302 National Radio Astronomy Observatory
New techniques revolutionizing study of the chemistry of the Universe
Combining the cutting-edge capabilities of the ALMA telescope with newly-developed laboratory techniques, scientists are opening a completely new era for deciphering the chemistry of the Universe. A research team demonstrated their breakthrough using ALMA data from observations of the gas in a star-forming region in the constellation Orion.
Using new technology both at the telescope and in the laboratory, the scientists were able to greatly improve and speed the process of identifying the "fingerprints" of chemicals in the cosmos, enabling studies that until now would have been either impossible or prohibitively time-consuming.
"We've shown that, with ALMA, we're going to be able to do real chemical analysis of the gaseous 'nurseries' where new stars and planets are forming, unrestricted by many of the limitations we've had in the past," said Anthony Remijan of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, VA.
ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is under construction on the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, at an elevation of 16,500 feet. When completed in 2013, its 66 high-precision antennas and advanced electronics will provide scientists with unprecedented capabilities to explore the Universe as seen at wavelengths between longer-wavelength radio and infrared.
Those wavelengths are particularly rich in clues about the presence of specific molecules in the cosmos. More than 170 molecules, including organic molecules such as sugars and alcohols, have been discovered in space. Such chemicals are common in the giant clouds of gas and dust in which new stars and planets are forming. "We know that many of the chemical precursors to life exist in these stellar nurseries even before the planets form," said Thomas Wilson of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
Molecules in space rotate and vibrate, and each molecule has a particular set of rotational and vibrational conditions that are possible for it. Each time a molecule changes from one such condition to another, a specific amount of energy is either absorbed or emitted, often as radio waves at very specific wavelengths. Each molecule has a unique pattern of wavelengths that it emits or absorbs, and that pattern serves as a telltale "fingerprint" identifying the molecule.
Scientists call the individual wavelengths in such a pattern spectral lines, because of their appearance in plots. A specific chemical can produce numerous spectral lines. The exact wavelength of each line can be measured, but that process is quite laborious and challenging. However, without such measurements, it has been difficult to identify many lines seen in astronomical observations. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the pattern of lines for a particular molecule changes with its temperature.
The breakthrough comes because of new technology that allows scientists to gather and analyze a broad swath of wavelengths at once, both with ALMA and in the laboratory.
"We now can take a sample of a chemical, test it in the laboratory, and get a plot of all its characteristic lines over a large range of wavelengths. We get the whole picture at once," said Frank DeLucia of the Ohio State University (OSU). "We can then model the characteristics of all the lines of a chemical at different temperatures," he added.
Armed with new OSU laboratory data for a few suspected molecules, the scientists then compared the patterns with those produced by observing the star-forming region with ALMA.
"The matchup was amazing," said Sarah Fortman, also from OSU. "Spectral lines that had been unidentified for years suddenly matched our laboratory data, verified the existence of specific molecules, and gave us a new tool to attack the complex spectra from regions in our Galaxy," she added. The first tests were done with ethyl cyanide (CH3CH2CN) because its existence in space was already well established and thus it provided a perfect test for this new method of analysis.
"In the past, there were so many unidentified lines that we called them 'weeds,' and they only confused our analysis. Now those 'weeds' are valuable clues that can tell us not only what chemicals are present in these cosmic gas clouds, but also can give important information about the conditions in those clouds," DeLucia said.
"This is a new era in astrochemistry," said Suzanna Randall of ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany. "These new techniques are going to revolutionize our understanding of the fascinating nurseries where new stars and planets are being born."
The new techniques, Remijan pointed out, also can be adapted to other telescopes, including the National Science Foundation's giant Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, and laboratory facilities such as those at the University of Virginia. "This is going to change the way astrochemists do business," Remijan said.
###
Randall, Remijan, Fortman, Wilson, and DeLucia worked with James McMillan and Christopher Neese of the Ohio State University. The scientists are publishing their research results in the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy.
ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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