escarole elanor: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

Attorney expects Lohan will be cleared in NYC case

Lindsay Lohan, second from right, is escorted from the 10th Precinct police station, with her face shielded, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in New York after being charged for allegedly striking a woman at a nightclub. Police say Lohan was arrested at 4 a.m. and charged with third-degree assault. They say she got into the argument with another woman at Club Avenue in Manhattan and struck the woman in face with her hand. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

Lindsay Lohan, center, is escorted from the 10th Precinct police station, with her face shielded, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in New York after being charged for allegedly striking a woman at a nightclub. Police say Lohan was arrested at 4 a.m. and charged with third-degree assault. They say she got into the argument with another woman at Club Avenue in Manhattan and struck the woman in face with her hand. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

FILE - In this Nov. 20, 2012 photo, actress Lindsay Lohan attends a dinner celebrating the premiere of "Liz & Dick" at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Lohan is under arrest and charged with third-degree assault Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 after police say she hit a woman during an argument at a New York City nightclub. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

With a jacket covering her head, Lindsay Lohan is escorted from the 10th Precinct police station,Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in New York after being charged for allegedly striking a woman at a nightclub. Police say Lohan was arrested at 4 a.m. and charged with third-degree assault. They say she got into the argument with another woman at Club Avenue in Manhattan and struck the woman in face with her hand. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Lindsay Lohan was charged Thursday with crimes in New York and Los Angeles, marking her latest setbacks as she tries to revive her career and avoid a return to jail.

Prosecutors in Santa Monica charged Lohan with three misdemeanors related to a June accident. Hours earlier, the actress was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, also a misdemeanor, after a woman was punched in a New York City nightclub.

The California charges came about six months after Lohan's Porsche crashed into the back of a dump truck. She told police her assistant was driving, but detectives now believe the actress was behind the wheel as she headed to a movie set.

In that case, Lohan, 26, was charged with lying to police, reckless driving and obstructing a police officer from performing duties.

Lohan's California attorney, Shawn Holley, said she could not comment on the crash-related charges.

In New York, her attorney Mark Heller said he expects the assault charge to be dismissed.

"Once again, Lindsay Lohan is a victim of someone trying to capture their 15 minutes of fame," Heller wrote in a statement. "From my initial investigation, I am completely confident that this case will be concluded favorably and that Lindsay will be totally exonerated."

The California charges could trigger another probation violation for Lohan, who was ordered to stay out of trouble when she was released from supervised probation in March after being convicted of the misdemeanor theft of a necklace and two DUI charges.

Since then she has been arrested twice in New York, crashed her car on Pacific Coast Highway, been treated by paramedics in her hotel room, and gotten in an argument with her mother that prompted a 911 call.

None of the events are likely what the clearly relieved actress anticipated in March when she thanked Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner, who warned the actress that she could face up to 245 days in jail if she violated her probation again.

"You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work," Sautner said.

In recent years, Lohan has been sentenced to the Los Angeles-area women's jail five times. Most of her stays have been short due to overcrowding, and she was allowed to serve 35 days on house arrest in 2011.

Lately, Lohan has been filming two movies and doing a cameo in the latest installment of the "Scary Movie" franchise. The first film, "Liz & Dick," premiered Sunday night on Lifetime to mostly negative reviews.

She was on her way to shoot scenes for "Liz & Dick" in June when her Porsche crashed into the dump truck and the actress was briefly hospitalized. A week later, paramedics were summoned to her hotel room. Her then-publicist Steve Honig attributed the health scare to exhaustion and dehydration.

Lohan relocated to New York after finishing her work on "Liz and Dick" and a Bret Easton Ellis film titled "The Canyons" was complete.

Her arrest at 4 a.m. EST Thursday was the latest by New York police since September, when a man accused her of hitting him with her car. Prosecutors did not pursue charges.

The following month, police were called to Lohan's childhood home on Long Island after a report of a fight between her and her mother. An investigation revealed what authorities called "no criminality."

On Thursday, police said Lohan got into a spat with a woman at Club Avenue in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. The woman was hit in the face and did not require medical attention, authorities said.

It remains unclear when Lohan will return to Los Angeles. No court date was announced for the crash-related charges.

People charged with misdemeanors in California can generally avoid court appearances if they have an attorney, but Lohan would have to be present for a probation violation hearing.

___

Associated Press Writer Ula Ilnytzky in New York contributed to this report.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-29-People-Lindsay%20Lohan/id-587fe479e086499c8a6aabd2e17461d2

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Video: Street Over-Reacting to Cliff News?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50014392/

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

John Cena vows he's done kissing AJ Lee!

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-11-26/cena-tweets-about-kissing-aj-lee

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Kicking off a fun Apple Cup Week with the jokes

By Alan Sillence Published: Nov 19, 2012 at 8:52 PM PST

One thing for certain during Apple Cup week.

No shortage of bad Husky and Coug jokes.
...............................
[TAKE SOT
OUTCUE: ( NAT singing cougar fight song )
AT: 0'00"
TO: 1'12"
DURATION:1'12"]
..............................

[CG :Lower 3rd 2-line\32\Bob Romero\DAWG 7 COUG SHOW]

[TAKE: ENDS 1:12]
............................

((( ( music husky fight song ) The Purple and gold may be out W'ing WSU on the football field this fall. But, huskies definitely the outnumbered underdogs at the annual local Kiwanis Apple Cup charity luncheon. When you get a room full of the crimson and grey nation.....breaking bread with rival U-Dubbers....you can count on the flying cross - state barbs....
Bob Romero "University of Washington football player walks into the doctor's office and removes his hat and there's a frog on top of his head. Doctor says my what can I do for you? And, the frog says, you can kindly start by removing that wart from my rear end.
You may have wondered why it is why Washington State doesn't have a football website. Apparently because they can't string three w's together to get one."
Singing...."Fight, fight for Washington State......." )))

Source: http://www.kimatv.com/sports/local/Kicking-off-a-fun-Apple-Cup-Week-with-the-jokes-180080611.html

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Tunisia PM refuses to resign after protests

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's Islamist prime minister rejected calls for his resignation on Thursday after two days of violent protests against economic hardship, and he accused opposition parties of sowing disorder.

At least 200 people were injured when demonstrators demanding jobs clashed with police on Tuesday and Wednesday in Siliana, a city on the edge of the Sahara whose inhabitants have long complained of neglect.

Protesters and a prominent leftist politician called upon Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali to step down after the violence. A leading trade union had called for the protests.

"In democratic systems, we don't force down governments. I'm not going to resign or dissolve the government. It's parliament that has authority to do that," Jebali told a news conference.

"We know who is behind these events - the opposition parties," he said.

The state news agency said police had used tear gas to try to break up further demonstrations on Thursday.

The protests are the fiercest since hardline Salafi Islamists attacked the U.S. embassy in Tunis in September over an anti-Islam film made in California. That violence left four people dead.

The government led by the Islamist Ennahda party to which Jebali belongs has sought to revive the economy after a fall in trade with the crisis-hit euro zone.

Tension between secularists and Salafis over the direction of the North African state has also hit the economy, which has yet to recover from the instability that followed the toppling of autocratic leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali last year.

This week the government secured World Bank and African Development Bank loans of $1 billion to cover its 2013 expenditure, but said it could ask the International Monetary Fund for a $2.5 billion credit line for 2014 and beyond.

Jebali said the latest protests would discourage investors.

"The silence of media and the opposition over the violence against the state threatens our democratic experiment," he said. "Certain politicians who lost in the elections want violence and disorder."

Jebali has accused both Salafis and liberal elites of harming Tunisia's economy and image through their conflict with each other. Ennahda tries to present itself as a middle way between liberals and Salafis.

"We have rejected the violence of people who want to impose their way of life under the pretext of religion, and we refuse the violence of these people too," he said.

(Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tunisia-pm-refuses-resign-protests-193156133.html

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Long Before Cayman There Was the 904 Carrera GTS

It made sense that Porsche had a 904 on hand for the introduction of what could be Porsche's most rewarding-to-drive modern coupe, the Cayman. The 904 is easily one of the prettiest Porsches ever produced and it used innovative plastic and steel construction. Porsche says only 116 were built so if you ever see one, it's a rare (and expensive) treat.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/auto-blog/long-before-cayman-there-was-the-904-carrera-gts-14793371?src=rss

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Hundreds Of Small Businesses Are Fighting ... - Business Insider

The issue of urban development is never easy. Incorporating old communities into new ones is always fraught with controversy, especially in New York City.

The area of Willets Point in Queens has long been a target for re-development.

In December of 2011, Mayor Bloomberg finally broke ground on a plan to create a shopping mall, convention center, hotel and affordable housing in the area. Though the plan has run into various legal obstacles since then, businesses in the area have begun receiving letters ordering them to vacate their property by February of 2013.

While the city says will the plan will create hundreds of new jobs and spur economic growth in the area, for many who work and own businesses there, the mayor's plan is simply a recipe for their demise.

Watch the video below to see why.

Produced by Robert Libetti

Don't Miss:

Residents Of NYC's Devastated Rockaways Are Still In A State Of Disbelief

Veterans Wish They Got This Kind Of Respect Every Day

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/willets-point-development-new-york-2012-11

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Breast cancer drug Herceptin linked to heart risks

Trading breast cancer for heart failure

I have to be honest with you. Writing about pharmaceutical drug risks always makes me a little sad. After all, so much hope is placed on these drugs. People rely on them for healing?often for saving lives. And then the truth hits. And it hits hard.

In any decision, potential rewards must be weighed against risks. But to do that, you have to know about them in the first place. And in the case of a popular breast cancer drug, people haven?t known about the full extent of the risks since 1998 when the drug was approved by the FDA.

For those 14 years Herceptin has been used to treat breast cancer despite a known risk of heart failure. According to Herceptin?s own prescribing information it can put you at risk for a condition called cardiomyopathy, which causes your heart muscle to become thick or enlarged. This can lead to CHF, a condition in which you gradually lose heart muscle causing your heart to become less effective at pumping blood.

Now a new study, showing that the risk may be higher than anyone ever thought, is highlighting yet again why ?one size fits all? medicine is always a bad idea.

Researchers, writing for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, are warning that if you?re a woman over the age of 67 ?your risk of developing heart failure or cardiomyopathy may be higher than what is quoted to you? by your doctor. You see, the problem is that the original estimated risks were based on studies that were done on younger, and likelier healthier, women.

In the earlier studies, the risk of heart failure was about 1.6 percent higher for women taking Herceptin. So, it was considered low. In the new study, though, the story is different.

For every 100 patients, 32 who took Herceptin and 42 who took Herceptin in combination with anthracyclines developed heart problems within 3 years. Compare that to the significantly lower 19 out of 100 among women who didn?t receive chemotherapy.

The researchers suggest that women on Herceptin need more ?monitoring.? They also want women to discuss the risks and benefits of the drug with their doctors. But the truth is Herceptin may only increase survival rates by 5 months on average according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine of Stage IV patients with HER-2 positive cancer.

Some women may look at all of the information about Herceptin and decide it?s still right for them. Others may not feel the rewards are worth the risk. But we all need to know the complete truth so we?re not making those decisions blindly.

That?s why the e-Tips are so important. Not only do you get the complete story, but you also learn about natural alternatives like bitter melon, iodine, and vitamin D for fighting breast cancer. The inside scoop on these solutions?along with many others?are waiting for you in the archive at www.wrightnewsletter.com.

P.S. Perhaps one day the mainstream will stop throwing dangerous drugs and harmful radiation at cancer long enough to discover that the safe and natural solution to wiping out cancer was right under their noses the whole time. But why wait for the them to catch on when our friends and affiliates at HSI can bring you tomorrow?s cancer cures TODAY? Click here to learn more.

Sources:
?Herceptin May Carry Higher Heart Risks for Women Than Thought,? Medline Plus (www.nlm.nih.gov)

?Hope on the Horizon for Advanced Breast Cancer,? WebMD (www.webmd.com)

Source: http://wrightnewsletter.com/2012/11/28/breast-cancer-drug-herceptin-linked-to-heart-risks/

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Bigfoot part human, DNA report claims

Genetic testing confirms the legendary Bigfoot is a human relative that arose some 15,000 years ago ? at least according to a press release issued by a company called DNA Diagnostics detailing supposed work by a Texas veterinarian.

The report from Melba S. Ketchum also suggests such cryptids had sex with modern human females that resulted in hairy hominin hybrids, but the scientific community is dubious about her claim.

"A team of scientists can verify that their five-year-long DNA study, currently under peer-review, confirms the existence of a novel hominin hybrid species, commonly called 'Bigfoot' or 'Sasquatch,' living in North America," the release reads. "Researchers' extensive DNA sequencing suggests that the legendary Sasquatch is a human relative that arose approximately 15,000 years ago."

For her study, Ketchum obtained three "whole nuclear genomes from purported Sasquatch samples. The genome sequencing shows that Sasquatch mtDNA is identical to modern Homo sapiens, but Sasquatch nuDNA is a novel, unknown hominin related to Homo sapiens and other primate species." (Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, is the DNA that resides in the cell's energy-producing structures, and is typically passed down from mothers, while nuclear DNA, nuDNA, resides in the cells' nuclei and is passed down from both parents to offspring.)

"Our data indicate that the North American Sasquatch is a hybrid species, the result of males of an unknown hominin species crossing with female Homo sapiens," the statement reads. [ Infographic: Tracking Belief in Bigfoot ]

Any proof?
It's a fascinating theory.

So where's the evidence? Well, there is none. Not yet, anyway: Ketchum's research has not appeared in any peer-reviewed scientific journal, and there's no indication when that might happen. If the data are good and the science is sound, any reputable science journal would jump at the chance to be the first to publish this groundbreaking information. Until then, Ketchum has refused to let anyone else see her evidence.

Of course the history of Bigfoot is rife with exaggerated and premature claims about proof of the creature's existence. For decades, various types of evidence have been offered as final, definitive proof, ranging from Bigfoot hair to blood to dead bodies. Without exception, the evidence has always been a hoax, misidentification or inconclusive.

Because Ketchum has released no information at all about her findings (nor have they been examined by outside experts), it's impossible to evaluate the validity of her conclusions. But an important clue can be found in her statement that "Sasquatch mtDNA is identical to modern Homo sapiens."

If the mitochontrial DNA is identical to Homo sapiens (i.e., modern humans), then this suggests one of two options. The first, endorsed by Ketchum, is that Bigfoot ancestors had sex with women about 15,000 years ago and created a half-human hybrid species currently hiding across North America. [ Rumor or Reality: The Creatures of Cryptozoology ]

There is, however, another, simpler interpretation of such results: The samples were contaminated. Whatever the sample originally was ? Bigfoot, bear, human or something else ? it's possible that the people who collected and handled the specimens accidentally introduced their DNA into the sample, which can easily occur with something as innocent as a spit, sneeze or cough. No one outside of Ketchum's team knows how this alleged Bigfoot DNA was collected, from where or by whom. It could have been collected by the world's top forensics experts, or by a pair of amateur Bigfoot buffs with no evidence-gathering training.

Science news from NBCNews.com
1. Climate issue heats up after superstorm
  Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: The climate change issue has been virtually a non-issue during the presidential campaign ? but it's primed to take a higher profile after the elections, in part due to Hurricane Sandy's horrific aftermath.
2. How to cope with lab-animal tragedy
3. Elephant can speak Korean ? out loud
4. Bulgaria claims to find Europe's oldest town

Confirming it's Bigfoot
How did the team definitively determine that the samples were from a Bigfoot? Did they take a blood or saliva sample from a living Bigfoot ? If so, how did they get that close, and why didn't they simply capture it or photograph it? If the samples were found in the wild, how do they know it wasn't left by another animal ? or possibly even a hunter, hiker or camper who left human genetic material?

Previous alleged Bigfoot samples subjected to DNA analysis have been deemed "unknown" or "unidentified." However, "unknown" or "unidentified" results do not mean "Bigfoot." There are many reasons why a DNA sample might come back unknown, including that it was contaminated or too degraded by environmental conditions. Or it could simply mean that the animal it came from was not among the reference samples that the laboratory used for comparison. There is no reference sample of Bigfoot DNA to compare it with, so by definition, there cannot be a conclusive match.

Ketchum also issued a statement requesting that the U.S. government immediately recognize Bigfoot as "an indigenous people and immediately protect their human and Constitutional rights against those who would see in their physical and cultural differences a 'license' to hunt, trap, or kill them." Since no Bigfoot has ever been hunted, trapped or killed, it's not clear that the creatures ? if they exist ? require any special federal protection.

Ketchum's is not the only genetics-based project intended to find Bigfoot. Earlier this year, researchers from Oxford University and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology announced they were collecting samples of alleged Bigfoot and Yeti hair for genetic identification. Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes collected materials from the public from May through September, and is currently conducting DNA analysis. Once the results are in, he plans to submit his results to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

If Ketchum has the definitive proof she claims, the world will soon know about it, and Bigfoot will be proven once and for all. On the other hand, if the evidence never appears, or is inconclusive and flawed, the search will continue.

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author of six books, including Tracking the Chupacabra and Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries. His website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49980829/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Target Partners with CNET for Electronics Product Reviews

Posted Date:11/11/2012
Target Partners with CNET for Electronics Product Reviews

Target shoppers can now find electronics and technology reviews from CNET, via on-shelf signage and by clicking the Expert Review tab on Target.com. In the store, customers can scan a QR code to access full product reviews on the website. CNET Editors Picks for Target will feature 25 product reviews rating products on ease of use, style and value.

We know our guests find expert reviews helpful when making purchasing decisions, said Scott Nygaard, Targets vice president of merchandising for electronics in a statement. As the respected industry expert, CNET was a clear choice to provide this expertise to Targets guests.

The reviews, part of a larger partnership between the retailer and the technology news website, became available November 11, in time for holiday shopping.

CNET editors review hundreds of tech products each year, and weve built a reputation as the most trusted and expert tech reviewers, said CNET reviews editor in chief Lindsey Turrentine. Were thrilled to help Target guests enjoy gadget shopping this holiday season.

For related content: Winning the Social Engagement Wars: Target, Macys, Walmart

Target Has the Gift of Giving

Target Supports New Apple Passbook App for Mobile Coupons

Source: http://www.innovativemoneymethod.com/?p=4666

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Three Ignored Ways to Market Your Reseller Hosting Business ...

Reseller web hosting gives you the opportunity to start your own hosting business with little capital. But like all potentially great opportunities, you only get out of reseller hosting what you put into it. The secret to success is good marketing.

Resellers who spend time on marketing inevitably use the same few ideas, including banner advertisements, pay-per-click, and search engine marketing. If you are doing the same things as your competitors, how can you ever stand out?

The most effective forms of reseller hosting marketing are the ones other resellers are ignoring. Let?s look at three ignored ways to market your reseller hosting business and why they are so effective.

Advertise your reseller hosting business offline

Web hosting resellers conduct their business on the Internet. Many resellers forget about the importance of more traditional offline marketing methods.

Online advertising is powerful, but your potential customers will be inundated with banners and graphics about web hosting. If you think about the way you navigate the Web yourself, you probably do not see the majority of ads on your screen.

Flyers, posters, and printed advertisements stand out. In addition, they can be a great way to give your new hosting company more authority, since people tend to trust print more than digital. You may have to invest more money into offline marketing than its online counterpart, but the results can be impressive.

Make cold approaches to your target market

Most resellers take a passive approach to getting new customers. They run advertisements or work on content, but never take proactive action to grab leads and turn them into business.

The idea of making direct approaches to people in your target market may seem intimidating, but a cold approach does not need to be a cold call. If you put together a list of people who may be interested in your services, you could send letters through the mail or emails online to tell them about what you can offer.

There are many customers out there who already have hosting, but are not completely satisfied. By taking the initiative to get in touch with potential customers, you can make it easier for them to switch providers.

Maximize the power of word-of-mouth advertising

Finally, the best web hosting resellers understand that every existing customer is an opportunity to win more business. There is nothing more powerful than word-of-mouth advertising, and if you can get all of your customers to tell a friend about your services, your customer base will double immediately.

What some hosting providers do not understand is that customers are busy people too ? they need an incentive or motivation to refer a friend. Why not email your existing accounts to offer a discount for referrals? Offering discounts to your referrals is a simple way to encourage more word-of-mouth marketing, making it worthwhile for your customers, without significantly compromising your revenue.

With these three ignored types of marketing, you can make your web hosting business more unique, more visible, and more successful.

Reseller web hosting services from Hostek.com

Of course, even the best marketing in the world can only be successful if it draws attention to a valuable product or service. With a wide range of reseller hosting services, Hostek.com helps you deliver reliable, powerful, and flexible hosting services to your customers.

Hostek.com currently provides Linux, ASP.NET, ColdFusion, and Railo reseller hosting solutions. Customers can choose from tiered packages that offer the right hardware resources to meet their business scale.

Reseller hosting from Hostek.com also includes 24/7/365 technical support and a 99.99% network uptime guarantee.

For more information on Hostek.com reseller hosting services, call 918-392-7870 or visit hostek.com today.

Source: http://blog.hostek.com/blog/reseller-hosting/three-ignored-ways-to-market-your-reseller-hosting-business/

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Whatever happened to limited government?

The concept of ?limited government? seems to have become a relic of sorts, writes SoldAtTheTop, mocked by one side of the ideological spectrum, paid lip service to by the other but widely discarded overall.

By SoldAtTheTop,?Guest blogger / November 26, 2012

Cashier Liliana Romero checks out a customer who is using a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) card at Tesoro Supermarket in Framingham, Mass., in this October 2010 file photo. Every month over 47 million individuals receive $133.42 through the Department of Agriculture?s Food Stamps program for a total monthly cost of $6.28 billion dollars or $75.3 billion annually, SoldAtTheTop writes.

Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor/File

Enlarge

I?d like to take a moment to reflect on the notion of ?limited government?.

Skip to next paragraph SoldAtTheTop

Writer, The PaperEconomy Blog

'SoldAtTheTop' is not a pessimist by nature but a true skeptic and realist who prefers solid and sustained evidence of fundamental economic recovery to 'Goldilocks,' 'Green Shoots,' 'Mustard Seeds,' and wholesale speculation.

HP's R&D Spending - Business Insider

This week, we ran a chart showing HP's crashing stock price since Mark Hurd was forced out of the company.

After we published the chart, a friend emailed to say, "Hurd destroyed the company. Gutted R&D, which was the cardinal sin. It was always an engineer's company. He financialized it. And in so doing, set in motion the wheels of doom."

From 2010, here's a look at how R&D as a percentage of revenue fell under Hurd's watch.

But, is the R&D budget really why HP is hosed? Probably not. Look at this chart, also from 2010:

chart of the day, r&d for tech companies, 2009

Anything jump out in that chart?

Apple spent less on R&D than HP, Google, and Microsoft in 2009. No one is going to accuse Apple of not producing great innovative products, despite a small R&D budget.

When Hurd was pushed out, an ex-HP engineer told Joe Nocera slashes in the R&D department was, "why H.P. had no response to the iPad." Apple managed to make the iPad while spending less on R&D, so we're not sure that totally adds up.

It's not how much you spend on R&D, it's what comes of it.

As for the charge that Hurd "financialized" HP, well, that may be true. But, he seemed to be at least somewhat in control of where the company was going. The two CEOs since Hurd have no clue, it seems, about what to do with HP.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/hps-rd-spending-2012-11

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Asian shares edge higher on hopes for Greek deal

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares inched up on Monday on hopes that Greece can avoid a near-term bankruptcy, with the market focusing on a euro zone finance ministers meeting later in the day, but a regional Spanish vote favouring separatist parties capped gains.

U.S. stock futures were down 0.3 percent, suggesting a soft Wall Street open, and European shares were seen falling, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX to open down as much as 0.3 percent.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2 percent to a two-week high.

It marked the sixth consecutive day of advances and comes after the euro and global shares climbed on Friday on expectations that an agreement will be reached soon to disburse aid for Greece, and after a rise in Germany's Ifo business climate index.

"There is optimism around in regards to the euro area's ability to achieve a deal on Greece," said Emma Lawson, senior currency strategist at the National Australia Bank.

But worries about the Spanish vote and the implications for Madrid's push for fiscal austerity helped the euro slip 0.1 percent to $1.2960, pulling back from a three-week high of $1.2991 reached on Friday.

Against the yen, however, the single currency hit a seven-month peak of 107.13.

The yen was near a 7-1/2-month low of 82.84 yen to the dollar hit last week. It has been weakening on expectations of further monetary policy easing with the likely advent of a new Japanese government next month.

The dollar inched up 0.1 percent, after falling to a three-week low of 80.128 against a basket of major currencies on Friday as risk appetite gained.

Australian shares rose 0.2 percent on gains in energy and mining stocks, but Hong Kong and Shanghai shares eased slightly.

Japan's Nikkei stock average gained 0.8 percent after rising to a seven-month high earlier on Monday on views that a weaker yen will boost earnings for exporters.

"Although some investors are cautious about the fast-paced gains in the Japanese market, they will likely stay buyers on the back of the improving trading environment in the global market," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities.

EUROPE HOLDS KEY

On Sunday, separatists in the Spanish region of Catalonia won an election but failed to get the resounding mandate they need to push convincingly for a referendum on independence.

The win heightens concerns about a potential negative impact on the Spanish economy and the country's finances, as Catalonia accounts for 20 percent of the economy and provides the most tax revenue to the central government.

"While the result helps tone down the risk of the government being forced to give more autonomy to Catalonia in its fiscal policy, the underlying discomfort the province may be feeling about its big fiscal burden may persist," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief FX strategist at Barclays in Tokyo.

He added that the result may weigh on the euro more when trading starts in Europe, where the euro's liquidity is far larger.

On Friday, European shares posted their best weekly gain so far this year on hopes for Greece and Germany's solid Ifo data, which followed firmer manufacturing reports from China and the United States released earlier last week.

London copper edged down 0.1 percent to $7,769.75 a tonne after rising for two weeks in a row. While signs of economic recovery in top consumer China helped support prices, China's official purchasing manufacturers' index due later in the week will be awaited for more confirmation of the trend.

"A positive PMI number should help a little bit, but we have not seen any significant improvement in the real economy yet," said Beijing-based metals analyst Wan Ling of commodities research house CRU Group.

The Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index, a global commodities benchmark, rose to its highest close since October 23 on Friday -- its best weekly performance since mid-September with a 1.9 percent gain.

Spot gold eased 0.1 percent to $1,750.35 an ounce on Monday after rising above $1,750 for the first time in five weeks on Friday.

U.S. crude fell 0.5 percent to $87.88 a barrel and Brent eased 0.2 percent to $111.12.

Asian credit markets steadied, with the spreads on the iTraxx Asia ex-Japan investment-grade index barely moved from Friday levels.

(Additional reporting by Ayai Tomisawa in Tokyo, Ian Chua in Sydney and Melanie Burton in Singapore; Editing by Edwina Gibbs & Kim Coghill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-edge-higher-hopes-greek-deal-003820426--finance.html

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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Obama?s pick for CIA could affect drone program (Washington Post)

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Internet Marketing Search Engine Optimization SEM SEO service ...

Most modern businesses utilize Internet promotion. By using search engine optimization techniques, targeted advertising and other Internet promotion techniques, your sales will grow. If you would like to learn more about affiliate marketing, you may find the following information useful.

Another option is putting it together with a product that is similar and selling it for a good price. You should always state your policies in clear, accessible language so as not to misrepresent yourself.

Publish a glossary on your site to gain credibility. Not only is a glossary useful to readers, but it is also rich in keywords, helping your site show up more often on search engines. If people are searching for these words, they will land at your site.

An FAQ page is a great way to familiarize people with your products. For each issue or question, write a helpful answer, and be sure to mention your products as a solution. Make sure, however, that you do not try too hard to ?sell? your products, as this could turn off readers.

Try adding a blog to sites that don?t change regularly. Google and the ranks like new content, if you do not provide it, your site will move down in rankings. Blogging is a great way to add new content, painlessly. Most blogging platforms even allow you to schedule future posts in advance so, take advantage of this feature to keep your blog updated.

A CRM?or customer relationship management?database can really boost your online marketing efforts. This will help you keep track of your customers so you will be able to effectively market towards your various customer groups. Another benefit is that you will see what extras your current customers might need, which you can then market directly to them.

Try offering free stuff on your site! An excellent freebie to give to your customers is the ability to download a protected article that others may need to pay for. For example, you might offer clients in the salon industry an article about attracting new clients, or designing new services. The main point is that offering something for free is a great way to entice people.

Try mobile marketing. Customers can have the opportunity to subscribe to text alerts for sales or promotions. This is the latest in digital advertising, and it will be a boon to any Internet marketing campaign.

Know what audience you want to reach, and what sort of content will be most attractive to it. Once you have determined who the target audience is, it should not be difficult to come up with content that will attract that audience to your site repeatedly.

Security is extremely important in a payment system. Consider PayPal or a comparable service for secure transactions on your site. Another idea is to allow your customers to have password protected accounts prior to ordering.

The more ways they can pay, the better your business might do. You might think that offering credit card payments is sufficient, but many customers prefer using PayPal or direct debits from their checking accounts.

A good internet marketing strategy should always include giving your customers a money back guarantee if something is not right. Your customers will feel safer and you will be more reputable. It is a lot easier for customers to trust a vendor who has the confidence in his or her products to take on the risk of a money-back guarantee.

Try incorporating different headlines into your site and on any E-zines you put out. The title should catch the reader?s attention and highlight your offering from your site. In fact, the idea is to grab the visitor?s attention, so to that end it doesn?t have to be a headline in the classical sense. You could add a cool graphic image. Make sure your images are in the proper format for the media where they will be published.

Try to get notable and respected people within your industry to give testimonials or advice on your site. To avoid legal issues down the road, ensure you get the proper rights before publishing anything. Use the interviews in article and submit to directories featuring E-zines. You can get a lot of traffic and build your reputation up a lot, giving you a lot of credibility.

Email marketing is an important, beneficial tool. Keep your emails clean and keep them protected. Avoid free email services that delete messages automatically when they get old. It may be important to access these emails later. If you have sensitive information contained in your emails, consider security and archiving methods to keep them safe.

Consider creating a web page for comments and customer reviews of your products and services. Customers like to post their actual experiences with your products and these can provide you with new sales, too.

In conclusion, many businesses use Internet promotion to sell products and services. Internet promotion uses methods such as search engine optimization and advertising to generate sales interest. If you remember the advice in this article, you can use Affiliate marketing to seriously boost interest in your own products and services.

Internet Marketing, SEO

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Increase Your Internet Marketing Skills With These Expert Tips!
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Source: http://www.websitehostdirect.com/become-an-online-marketing-expert-start-with-these-must-know-tips/

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buzz soviet: Shopping and Product Reviews by Marcell Eward: Gift

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Scuba diver, drowned in Fla., was research star

MIAMI (AP) ? A diver from New Mexico who died in a Thanksgiving Day boating accident was a manager at one of the nation's leading research laboratories who was in Florida for a holiday dive trip with her nephew, authorities said Friday.

The Broward County Medical Examiner ruled Friday that Nina Poppelsdorf, 54, drowned after Thursday when a large wave flipped over a 45-foot catamaran carrying her and nearly two-dozen others.

The Sandia Park, N.M., woman died at a hospital after the Coral Princess capsized, said Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dani Moschella. Witnesses said the boat was approaching the Hillsboro Inlet in Pompano Beach when a wave 8 to 10 feet high flipped the twin-hulled craft.

Poppelsdorf was in Florida with her nephew, who is from Pennsylvania.

"They just went on this fun trip together to just do dives," Moschella said. "So this is especially tragic that it was on Thanksgiving and it ended in tragedy."

Poppelsdorf was a senior manager of the radiation protection, industrial hygiene and safety center at Sandia National Laboratories, lab spokeswoman Heather Clark said. She was hired in August 1992 at the lab, a federal research and development center.

"She was recently promoted to senior manager and was well-respected by her peers and staff alike. Her contributions to improving safety at Sandia are numerous and she will be missed as both a member of the Sandia family and as a wonderful person," said Sandia Environment, Safety & Health director Sid Gutierrez, her supervisor.

Darrell Fong, a Sandia Labs safety engineering manager who worked with Poppelsdorf, said she was admired for her professionalism and easily identified by her laugh.

"She had a great laugh. Everyone could recognize her laughter. They'd say, 'Oh, there's Nina.'" Fong said.

Poppelsdorf was a leader of a Sandia team that helped in the response to the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami left several reactors there without cooling water, Fong said. He also said Poppelsdorf was a certified diving instructor.

The Coral Princess is a Corinthian catamaran owned by South Florida Diving Headquarters in Pompano Beach. A phone message left Friday by The Associated Press for the owner of the boat was not immediately returned.

Three of the 23 people on the boat were treated and released. Most of them were from out of town on vacation, authorities said

Officials said nearby boaters jumped into the water to pull people to safety. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue workers used personal watercraft to get to the site. The U.S. Coast Guard and other state and local agencies assisted in the rescue.

The accident remains under investigation.

___

Associated Press writer Bob Christie in Phoenix, Ariz., contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-woman-dies-fla-dive-boat-capsizes-112843586.html

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Is it Possible to Save Too Much for Retirement? : Money Smart Life

On the surface, this seems like a ridiculous question, but I?m going to put on my contrarian?s hat here and dare to raise the question. There are probably far more people who are inadequately prepared for retirement than there are people who are over-funded for it. And yet retirement preparation can be a little bit obsessive at times.

It?s not that being well-prepared for retirement is a bad thing, but more that nothing that we do ever happens in a vacuum. While we?re preparing for retirement other things are happening in life. We could miss them if we?re too focused on planning for retirement.

Are You Forgetting The Near Future?

Retirement planning is about preparing for the final years of life. We can become so focused on preparing for our later years, that we can neglect the present and the many years that will play out between now and retirement.

A factor that is often neglected in the retirement equation is that many people may find themselves in their peak earning years during what we normally think of as the retirement years. If for example, you have a very successful business, you may find that the business increases throughout your life. Many people who have their own businesses never retire. When you work for yourself the desire to retire often doesn?t exist.

If this turns out to be your situation, then retirement preparation will have been mostly to develop an income/asset supplement more than anything else.

Paying Off and Staying Out of Debt

It?s possible to get so caught up funding your retirement that you find other ways to pay the bills in the present. That sometimes takes the form of debt. Your retirement plan rises over time, but so do your debts. Because so much money is going into retirement, less available for routine purchases, for making large down payments on major items (like cars), or even for paying down your mortgage.

If you have $100,000 in your retirement plan but you also have $50,000 in car loans, credit card debt and other loan types, it?s almost like having a margin loan on your retirement plan.

Having a well-funded retirement plan is an important goal, but so is maintaining a debt free position. And getting out of debt actually helps your retirement planning in a major way. The less debt you owe, the more money you have available to put in your retirement plan.

Investing Outside Retirement

It?s not unusual for people to have most of their money sitting in a retirement plan. But as important as retirement is, it?s equally important to save and invest money for other contingencies as well.

You can have an emergency fund that will help you in times of crisis, such as the loss of a job. But what happens if you have a sequence of major expenses or if the job loss is more than short-term? Your emergency fund will be drained in a hurry, and if you have no other savings or investments, you?ll either have to borrow money or consider tapping your retirement plan.

Another situation that?s becoming increasingly common is either forced or voluntary early retirement. It?s important to have non-tax sheltered money available for just such an event. That will prevent you from having to draw down your retirement savings ahead of schedule.

Helping Others

Most of us have a certain amount of discretionary income that will cover non-survival expenses, such as entertainment and travel, paying off debt and funding retirement. Somewhere in there should be room to help others. This is particularly true of those who are close to us, such as extended family and close friends.

How many people you want to help and how far you go with each is a personal decision. But if you have the means, leaving a little extra for just that purpose can enable you to help out where you can.

Building a Business

It?s possible to be so concerned with building your retirement plan that you?re hesitant to do anything to interfere with the process. You could stay at a job that you don?t especially like because your 401(k) plan is doing particularly well. You may harbor thoughts in the back of your mind of one day leaving your job to start a business in something you really enjoy. But you put that off because it might interrupt or even end your contributions to your 401(k) plan.

The years pass and you never do pursue the business idea. Retirement becomes a self the filling prophecy?you can?t quit your job because you have to fund your 401(k), so that you can retire and get away from your job. Throughout your career however, though your 401(k) is healthy, you?re never truly happy.

But let?s say that you do decide to quit your job and start a business? You?d be doing work that you enjoy while building your business and increasing your income. Soon enough you?ll be able to start a retirement plan through your business and resume increasing your portfolio. But even better, when you do reach retirement age you?ll have a business and that will open up some options.

You can either decide to sell the business to raise extra money for your retirement savings, or you could keep the business into retirement and use it as a nice supplement to your retirement income.

But that kind of opportunity will only happen if you?re prepared to let go of your job ? and the 401(k) attached to it ? and take a chance on starting the business. If retirement planning is the main force that drives you, you may never take that chance.

As important as it is to save for retirement, it should never dominate your financial situation. Many other obligations and opportunities are developing all around you, right here and right now. Make some preparation for the future, but don?t allow today to be neglected in favor of a retirement that may be decades away.

Are you investing for retirement? Or are you focusing on other financial goals? Leave a comment and let us know!

Kevin Mercadante is professional personal finance blogger, and the owner of his own personal finance blog, OutOfYourRut.com. He has backgrounds in both accounting and the mortgage industry. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two teenage kids and can be followed on Twitter at @OutOfYourRut.

All posts by Kevin Mercadante

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Written by Kevin Mercadante ? Filed Under Retirement?

Source: http://moneysmartlife.com/is-it-possible-to-save-too-much-for-retirement/

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A Failed Experiment

The dome of the U.S. Capitol is seen on August 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

New York Times:

In upper-middle-class suburbs on the East Coast, the newest must-have isn?t a $7,500 Sub-Zero refrigerator. It?s a standby generator that automatically flips on backup power to an entire house when the electrical grid goes out.

Read the whole story at New York Times

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/22/a-failed-experiment_n_2176488.html

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Keep Pets Safe On Thanksgiving ? CBS Detroit

(Photo: Michigan Humane Society)

DETROIT (CBS Detroit)?While the sights and smells of Thanksgiving ? with its roasted turkeys, garlic mashed potatoes and endless desserts ? may be a sweet day for you, it could spell disaster for your most vulnerable family member.

Local?veterinarians?and the Michigan Humane Society are urging people to practice caution over Thanksgiving ?as many of the items prepared for humans to feast on may pose serious problems to their furry and feathered best friends.

During the holidays, emergency vets see a significant uptick in pet-related emergencies, many of which are avoidable, according to?BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Ann Arbor.

?Every year we see an increase in emergency cases during the holiday season, many of which are avoidable,? said Dr. Marcia Backstrom, an emergency doctor with BluePearl. ?While we don?t want to see any emergencies that are preventable, if people do notice their pet exhibiting unusual behavior, we would urge them to get the pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.?

Backstrom said problems include gastrointestinal irritations with vomiting and diarrhea, pancreatitis from eating foods high in fat, and an increase in animals being struck by vehicles.

But nothing bad has to happen ? by practicing these safety precautions and tips, you can make sure the holidays are as merry as possible.

? Make sure to seal garbage bags and place them in a tightly covered container to prevent your pets from getting into something that could injure them.

? ?Turkey bones, chicken bones and ham bones can splinter and cause the intestinal track to become perforated.

? ? It is best to keep your pets on their normal diets. Many spices and foods that are safe for humans are not safe for animals. Onions, garlic, chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, the sugar substitute xylitol, and raw or undercooked food can create major problems for pets.

? ? Foods high in fat content can cause pancreatitis in companion animals.

? ? As guests and deliveries come and go, make sure pets remain safely inside. Doors that are left unintentionally open can result in your pet being hit by a car.

? ? Poinsettias are also toxic to pets.

? ? If traveling with pets, make sure they are comfortable. Get them acclimated when they are young by taking them on trips. If needed, herbal remedies or medications can be provided by your veterinarian to assist with calming a pet.

See more pet safety tips from the Michigan Humane Society HERE.

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/11/22/keep-pets-safe-on-thanksgiving/

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Gazans clean up as truce with Israel holds

AAA??Nov. 22, 2012?2:53 AM ET
Gazans clean up as truce with Israel holds
AP

Israeli reserve soldiers remove detonators from shells in a 155 mm artillery position near Israel Gaza Border, southern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. A cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers took effect Wednesday night, bringing an end to eight days of the fiercest fighting in years and possibly signaling a new era of relations between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Palestinians celebrate the Hamas-Israel cease-fire in Gaza City, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. Israel and the Hamas militant group agreed to a cease-fire Wednesday to end eight days of the fiercest fighting in nearly four years, promising to halt attacks on each other and ease an Israeli blockade constricting the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The moon illuminates Israelis standing on a hill at the Israeli town of Sderot, overlooking the Gaza Strip, background right, as they watch a missile, not seen, fired by Palestinian militants from inside Gaza towards southern Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, shortly before a cease-fire is announced between Israel and Hamas. Israel and the Hamas militant group agreed to a cease-fire Wednesday to end eight days of the fiercest fighting in nearly four years, promising to halt attacks on each other and ease an Israeli blockade constricting the Gaza Strip.The deal was brokered by the new Islamist government of Egypt, solidifying its role as a leader in the quickly shifting Middle East after two days of intense shuttle diplomacy that saw U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton race to the region. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Palestinians celebrate the Israel-Hamas cease-fire in Gaza City, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. Israel and the Hamas militant group agreed to a cease-fire Wednesday to end eight days of the fiercest fighting in nearly four years, promising to halt attacks on each other and ease an Israeli blockade constricting the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal speaks during a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012 after a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. Israel and the Hamas militant group agreed to a cease-fire Wednesday to end eight days of the fiercest fighting in nearly four years, promising to halt air strikes and rocket attacks that have killed scores and to discuss easing an Israeli blockade constricting the Gaza Strip. Mashaal said the deal included an agreement to open all border crossings with the Gaza Strip, including the important Rafah crossing with Egypt. A copy of the deal obtained by The Associated Press appeared to be somewhat vague about the details on the crossings. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abd el Fatah)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) ? Gazans have begun clearing rubble and inspecting damage to shops and homes inflicted by an eight-day Israeli military offensive against the territory's Hamas rulers.

After a night of wild celebrations following the announcement of an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire, cars jammed the streets of Gaza City on Thursday morning. Work crews are fixing dangling electricity wires and collecting garbage that had piled up on street corners.

The truce raises hopes of a new era in relations between Israel and Hamas. The two are now to negotiate a deal that would open the borders of the blockaded coastal strip.

The week-long fighting killed 161 Palestinians, including 71 civilians. Five Israelis were also killed. It was the worst bloodshed since an Israeli invasion of Gaza four years ago that left hundreds dead.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-22-Israel-Palestinians/id-b21d9aa5b3944012b3979c02fbb16a77

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Call that a ball? Dogs learn to associate words with objects differently than humans do

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2012) ? Dogs learning to associate words with objects form these associations in different ways than humans do, according to research published Nov. 21 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Emile van der Zee and colleagues from the University of Lincoln, UK.

Previous studies have shown that humans between the ages of two to three typically learn to associate words with the shapes of objects, rather than their size or texture. For example, toddlers who learn what a 'ball' is and are then presented other objects with similar shapes, sizes or textures will identify a similarly-shaped object as 'ball', rather than one of the same size or texture.

Earlier research with dogs has shown that they can learn to associate words with categories of objects (such as 'toy'), but whether their learning process was the same as that of humans was unknown.

In this new study, the scientists presented Gable, a five year old Border Collie, with similar choices to see if this 'shape bias' exists in dogs. They found that after a brief training period, Gable learned to associate the name of an object with its size, identifying other objects of similar size by the same name. After a longer period of exposure to both a name and an object, the dog learned to associate a word to other objects of similar textures, but not to objects of similar shape.

According to the authors, these results suggest that dogs (or at least Gable) process and associate words with objects in qualitatively different ways than humans do. They add that this may be due to differences in how evolutionary history has shaped human and dog senses of perceiving shape, texture or size.

The bottom line: Though your dog understands the command "Fetch the ball," but he may think of the object in a very different way than you do when he hears it. As the authors explain, "Where shape matters for us, size or texture matters more for your dog. This study shows for the first time that there is a qualitative difference in word comprehension in the dog compared to word comprehension in humans."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

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

Journal Reference:

van der Zee E, Zulch H, Mills D. Word Generalization by a Dog (Canis familiaris): Is Shape Important? PLoS ONE, 7(11): e49382 DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0049382

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/HMuJ1Bls-qQ/121121210253.htm

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