Casio's Exilim EX-H50 superzooms its way to Photokina, we go hands-on (video)

Looking for a superzoom camera without the bulk of a DSLR? Casio's Exilim EX-H50 is a pretty slick proposition. The camera's got a reasonably slim profile that's a bit more like an oversized point-and-shoot, slight bulk that's presently largely because of the extended soft grip and big three-inch TFT display on the rear -- and then, of course, there's that 25 mm wide-angle lens with 24x optical zoom that certainly adds a good deal to the camera's footprint when extended. The flash adds a bit too, but that'll lay dormant until you pop it out via the devoted switch just to the left of the bump, on top of the camera.

The zoom is quite smooth -- it certainly did the trick snapping photos of strangers socializing in the halls of the Cologne Convention Center. That three-inch screen is big, if not particularly bright, but does the trick for the camera's fairly simple menu system, which also includes a number of filters like Fisheye, Sepia (move over Instagram) and Monochrome -- the processing on each occurs after the photos are snapped. Inside, you've got a 16.1-megapixel sensor.

The superzoom will run €250 when it hits Europe next month.

Continue reading Casio's Exilim EX-H50 superzooms its way to Photokina, we go hands-on (video)

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Canadian promotion MFC tells title holders: Blow weight? You?re losing your belt

Canadian promotion Maximum Fighting Championship is making some changes in the way they are handling title fights. MFC's titleholders will vacate their belt if they don't make weight for title fights.

At MFC 34? in August, Adam Lynn was set to meet Mukai Maromo for the vacant lightweight title. Lynn weighed in at 156.6 lbs., a pound and a half over the limit of 155 lbs. Maromo went on to to win the fight by knockout. Because of Lynn's blown weight, the fight was changed to non-title status, so Maromo didn't win the belt.

Under the new system, MFC champions will lose their title if they blow weight. If they win their fight, they will be considered the No. 1 contender to win back their belt. If they lose the fight, the contender wins the belt. If the contender blows weight, the champion will keep the belt, regardless of the fight's outcome.

The change in policy was put in place so that fighters won't be penalized because their opponents don't make weight. Fighters not making weight doesn't happen all that often at the top levels of the sport. However, it makes sense to have a policy in place in case there is a problem. The people at US Track and Field found out the hard way that policies for rare occasions, like a tie for third place at an Olympic Trials, are still needed.

In the UFC, when fighters don't make weight in a title fight, the title is no longer on the line. Travis Lutter didn't make weight against Anderson Silva for their fight in 2007, so the fight was not a title defense for Silva. Would you like to see UFC go to this system? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/canadian-promotion-mfc-tells-title-holders-blow-weight-174610160--mma.html

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3-D ?movie? made of electrons moving at nearly light speed

22 hrs.

Scientists have harnessed an imaging technique to create a 3-D visualization of electrons moving at nearly light speed on and in a futuristic material that could replace silicon in electronic devices of tomorrow.

The technique can capture increments of time at the level of femtoseconds ? that is millionths of a billionth of a second. By stitching together these images, they are able to create movies of electrons as they scatter in response to a short pulse of light.

The interior of the futuristic material, called topological insulators (TIs), almost completely blocks any flow of electrons, but the surface is a conductor that allows electrons to travel at almost the speed of light unimpeded by impurities.

?Because of these characteristics, TIs are seen as a promising new material for electronic circuits and data storage devices,? the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explains in a?press release.

?But developing such new devices requires a better understanding of exactly how electrons move around on and inside the TI, and how the surface electrons interact with those inside the material.?

A research team, led by graduate student Yihua Wang and assistant professor of physics Nuh Gedik at MIT, have done just that using the ?pump-probe? technique they pioneered to create 3-D images of the energy, momentum and spin of electrons within topological insulators.

The university describes the technique this way:

It uses a short pulse of laser light to energize the material, causing electrons to scatter, and a second, slightly delayed pulse to illuminate it and produce an image. ?The first pulse does something to the electrons, and the second pulse captures what happened,? Gedik explains.

Then, the process is repeated, with the second laser pulse delayed by ever-increasing increments of just a few femtoseconds. Each resulting image shows the response of the electrons to the beam after a corresponding interval. These images can then be assembled into a movie that shows how the response changes with time.

Using the technique, the researchers found that electrons on the topological insulator surface interact with interior electrons via sound waves and the interaction happens more intensely at high temperatures.

Understanding these interactions, Gedik notes, will help shape future work on topological insulators. Current proposals for futuristic data storage devices made with the material, for example, are based on the behavior of surface electrons.

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/3-d-movie-made-electrons-moving-nearly-light-speed-1B5950438

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IAEA renews pressure on Iran after "terrorist" outburst

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear agency insisted on Tuesday that Iran must address concerns about suspected bomb research, saying it was ready for talks and avoiding any mention of Tehran's allegation that "terrorists" may have infiltrated the Vienna-based agency.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a statement on a meeting between IAEA chief Yukiya Amano and Iranian nuclear energy head Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani on Monday, which was held just hours after Abbasi-Davani sharply criticized the agency in a speech to its annual assembly.

Amano said it was essential for Iran to cooperate with his inspectors to clarify concerns about possible military dimensions to its nuclear program, a charge Tehran rejects.

He told Abbasi-Davani that the IAEA "is committed to continued dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran and expressed the readiness of agency negotiators to meet with Iran's in the near future", the statement said.

The U.N. agency has been seeking to resume a long-stalled investigation into Iran's atomic activities, but talks that began in January have made little headway.

In a sign of the depth of mistrust between Iran and the IAEA, Abbasi-Davani accused the U.N. agency of a "cynical approach" and mismanagement in his speech on Monday.

He said power lines to Iran's Fordow underground enrichment site were blown up a month ago, and that an IAEA inspector had asked for an unannounced visit to the site a day later and that "terrorists and saboteurs might have intruded" into the agency.

Abbasi-Davani did not say who he believed was behind the attacks. Iran has often accused Israel and its Western foes of trying to damage its nuclear work.

Western diplomats privately dismissed the Iranian allegations against the IAEA as an attempt to divert attention from Tehran's stonewalling of the agency's inquiry.

"Iran's accusations against the IAEA are a new low. Increasingly cornered, they are lashing out wildly," said nuclear proliferation expert Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank.

Fordow worries the West most as it produces uranium of 20 percent fissile purity, more than for power plants and only a short technical step from the 90 percent needed for a weapon.

The IAEA said Amano had stressed in his meeting with Abbasi-Davani the "importance of early clarification of outstanding issues" related to Iran's nuclear program.

"It is essential for Iran to extend its full cooperation to the Agency ... a structured approach to clarify all issues related to Iran's nuclear program, including those related to possible military dimensions, needs to be agreed and implemented as soon as possible," Amano said.

"I sincerely hope we will be able to move swiftly towards concrete progress," Amano told Abbasi-Davani.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-nuclear-watchdog-ready-talks-iran-near-083625981.html

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Sneak Peak at Freshkills Park! - Land Art Generator Initiative

Join us on September 23 for Sneak Peak at Freshkills Park. The event takes place from 11am-4pm and has activities for all ages and interests.

We will have many of the LAGI 2012 submissions on display and will be handing out free copies of a ?Field Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies?.

We hope to see you there. Let?s go fly a kite!

Sneak Peak at Freshkills Park is presented by the Freshkills Park Alliance, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and the NYC Department of Sanitation, with support from Pratt Industries, The Home Depot, The Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, The College of Staten Island, Wagner College, Showplace Entertainment Center, the Hilton Garden Inn, M & R Hotel Group, The Lower East Side Ecology Center.

TOURS & PREVIEW ACTIVITIES
Pony Rides will provide a preview of future equestrian actiivites and facilities at the park. Ponies are provided by First Place Ponies.

Kayaking will begin at 11:00 a.m. Registration for available kayaks will happen on-site starting 15 minutes before each tour begins. No outside kayaks allowed. Support for kayak tours is provided by:

Kayak Staten Island, an all-volunteer organization that provides free kayaking for the public from South Beach in Staten Island.

Long Island Community Boathouse, which provides western Queens residents, employees, and visitors with educational and recreational paddling programs. The all-volunteer programs raise awareness about estuary ecology with the goal of restoring the natural beauty and health of New York Harbor.

Bird watching will be guided by The Staten Island Museum, founded in 1881 and home to more than two million artifacts and specimens. This ?mini-Smithsonian? is rich with arts, natural sciences and local history.

Kite Making and Kite Flying will take place at the top of the North Mound. Free kite-making kits will be provided. All kites are welcome!

Goats, offering a preview of sustainable weed management herds at Freshkills Park.

Model Airplane Demonstration provided by the Staten Island RC Modelers.

Puppet Parade, led by Emma Wiseman, will be taking place at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The Freshkills Park Layar Smartphone App, developed with information architecture consultants Med44, provides description, media and links for places visible in the landscape, to users of iPhone 4 and Android phones.

The Lower East Side Ecology Center (LESEC) will be collecting e-waste?unwanted or broken electronics?from event visitors in the event parking area. A list of acceptable materials can be found here. Electronics will be accepted from households and small businesses (less than 50 employees, please call ahead) as well as not-for-profits. LESEC does not accept home appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, or air conditioners.

NYC DOT Bicycle Helmet Fitting, NOTE: You must be present to get fitted and receive a helmet and learn how to properly fit it. A parent or legal guardian must be present to sign a waiver for children under age 18 being fitted to receive a helmet. Adults over age 18 must sign a waiver to get fitted and receive a helmet.

WORKSHOPS & INFORMATION FAIR
The Home Depot will lead visitors in constructing birdhouses that they may take home after the event.

The New York City Department of Sanitation will offer information about the Fresh Kills Landfill and citywide Sanitation operations.

GrowNYC?s Office of Recycling, Outreach and Education will provide recycling education and lead visitors in the Recycling Game.

Materials for the Arts will lead visitors through workshops constructing wind toys with discarded material from its non-profit storehouse in Queens.

The NYC Compost Project will offer education and tips on home composting.

Partnerships for Parks

Sims Recyclarium

Land Art Generator Initiative

Staten Island Zoo

Municipal Art Society

Solar One will provide tips on home and office energy efficiency.

MillionTreesNYC will provide education about its initiative to plant and care for one million new trees across the City?s five boroughs over the next decade.

The Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island will share information about upcoming arts and culture events and programs on Staten Island.

The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) will exhibit its Sewer in a Suitcase, a portable demonstration of New York City?s wastewater management system constructed through an semester-long, artist-led youth investigation. Demonstrations will take place every half hour from 11:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m..

The College of Staten Island (CSI) Farming Group will offer a tasting of produce grown at the farm at CSI as well as a hands-on crafts workshop.

Fresh Kills Stories, part of an on-going oral history project, will record audio of visitors? stories and reflections about the former Fresh Kills Landfill, the site today, and the future Freshkills Park.

The Center for Architecture Foundation will lead visitors through a design a park activity.

LOCAL ARTISANS
AnyaEve hand dyes and paints silk scarves.

Olga Ayala specializes in original, fully functional home decor items and wearable art (jewelry) made of polymer clay. Each piece is individually handcrafted and is a unique piece of art.

Margaret Mascullo

Naked Sheep

By Renee

Sunset Hill Design

FOOD VENDORS
Carmelo?s Brick Oven Pizza, serving handmade, wood-fired brick oven pizza.

Staten Island Iceman, offering 22 flavors of Italian ices and 6-8 flavors of ice cream.

Morris Grilled Cheese

Desi Food Truck

Go Burger Truck

Cupcake Stop

PUBLIC ART
Kathy Westwater, will be performing an original work at 1 p.m.

Mierle Laderman Ukeles, ?The Social Mirror? (1983)

Source: http://landartgenerator.org/blagi/archives/2535?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sneak-peak-at-freshkills-park

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Golf, Renegade Mental Golf

Underground Golf Psychology - Nlp, Hypnosis, Eft. New Sales Copy From John Carlton Critique + New Bonuses = Higher Conversions Affiliate Tools Here: Http://www.renegadementalgolf.com/affiliate-tools.asp - Check It Out!

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The Deadliest Battle

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle in American history. About 23,000 men died, were wounded, or went missing over the course of the single-day battle. Why was Antietam so deadly?

Advanced technology, unwise tactics, and terrible decision-making. The combination of new rifles that could be shot with great accuracy from far away and old-fashioned battle lines led to unprecedented deaths in the Battle of Antietam (and in the Civil War in general). As in other Civil War battles, both sides in Antietam arranged their infantry shoulder-to-shoulder in two long parallel lines before marching into battle. This type of linear formation made sense in earlier years, when military weaponry consisted mostly of smoothbore muskets (which were accurate only at short range) and bayonets (which, likewise, could only be used at close range). But by the beginning of the Civil War, rifling?the use of helical grooves in the barrel of a weapon, which stabilize a bullet, leading to greater shooting accuracy?was widespread. Now soldiers could make an aimed shot from 100 yards away and shoot into an enemy line with hope of hitting someone from 400 yards away. Armed with rifled muskets, a defensive line could do serious damage when attackers attempted to charge.

Better explosives also contributed to Antietam?s unprecedented bloodiness. On both sides, infantry units were bolstered by artillery batteries consisting of three to six cannons, which could be loaded with canisters. A canister was a tin can filled with about 120 bullets, which meant that firing a canister was similar in effect to firing a machine gun.

These technological advances were present in other Civil War battles, too, and it?s thanks to chance and some really bad decision-making that Antietam earned the superlative of most deadly. The Union forces outnumbered the Confederate forces by about 2 to 1, but the Union general, George B. McClellan, didn?t wield the Union forces to his advantage. Instead of sending his strongest units to flank the Confederates, he sent weaker units, which weren?t quite up to the task. Worse, McClellan was stationed too far away from these units to be able to know about their failures and send reinforcements, which made this strategy fairly useless.

At the same time, Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside foolishly sent troops across a narrow bridge that led to a steep hill occupied by Confederate riflemen. Even though the Confederate riflemen were severely outnumbered, they had such an advantageous position that they were able to forestall the Union forces for hours. (Adding to the stupidity of Burnside?s decision to cross the bridge was the fact that there was an easily crossed ford that he could have traversed instead?he just hadn?t found out where it was before the battle began.)

Meanwhile, the Confederate forces had the advantages of more experience, better command, and a high proportion of artillery batteries to infantrymen. The fact that the Union side vastly outnumbered the Confederates?and yet was wildly incompetent by comparison?meant that McClellan?s forces were able to absorb huge losses while simultaneously inflicting huge losses on the Confederates, leading to the deadliest one-day battle in American history.

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Insight: China builds its own military-industrial complex

HONG KONG (Reuters) - When China turned to Russia for supplies of advanced weapons through the 1990s, it kick-started Beijing's military build-up with an immediate boost in firepower.

It also demonstrated the failure of its domestic defense sector which was still turning out obsolete 1950s vintage equipment for the People's Liberation Army from a sprawling network of state-owned arms makers.

Now, after more than two decades of soaring military spending, this once backward industry has been transformed -- China is creating its own military-industrial complex, with the private sector taking a leading role.

With Tiananmen-era bans on Western military sales to China still in place, an innovative and efficient domestic arms industry is crucial for Beijing as it assembles a modern military force capable of enforcing claims over Taiwan and disputed maritime territories.

China has locked horns recently with its Southeast Asian neighbors over conflicting claims to strings of islets in the South China Sea. Tensions have also flared with Japan over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, even as the United States executes a strategic military pivot towards the Pacific.

Well funded defense groups have rapidly absorbed the technology and expertise needed to build complex weapons, freeing China from its former heavy reliance on Russian and other foreign equipment, Chinese and Western experts say.

"A country's defense sector should reflect the strength of the country's economy," says Wu Da, a portfolio manager at Beijing-based Changsheng Fund Management Co Ltd which invests in listed Chinese defense stocks.

But, he adds, the sector is so shrouded in secrecy it's been hard to assess how viable it is.

"Some of the Chinese defense groups are already quite strong after so much military spending in recent years but you don't know exactly how well they are doing financially or technologically because China does not want others to know."

That could start to change.

INJECTING ASSETS

Beijing is enlisting the private sector to accelerate the rise of its best defense contractors, issuing new guidelines in July aimed at encouraging private investment in a sector traditionally sheltered from competition and public scrutiny.

Listed subsidiaries of top Chinese military contractors now intend to buy at least 20 billion yuan ($3.15 billion) in assets from their state-owned parents in the second half, according to their recent filings with the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

This would double the value of military related assets injected into these listed companies since 2007 with more in the pipeline, as Beijing presses ahead with an ambitious program to privatize most of a vast arms industry employing more than a million workers at more than 1,000 state-owned enterprises.

The long term goal is to transform some of the leading contractors, such as China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation into homegrown versions of American giants Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman or Britain's BAE Systems.

AVIC, which is aiming to quadruple its sales to one trillion yuan ($157.7 billion) by 2020 from 250 billion yuan in 2011, plans to inject 80 percent of its main businesses into some of its listed companies by the end of next year.

Beijing has made repeated calls to speed up listings of all but the most sensitive military businesses. The authorities have also promised to allow public bidding for unclassified and minor defense contracts in a sector that is likely to enjoy strong growth if China continues its sustained military build-up.

China's top 10 defense groups with estimated combined assets of 2 trillion yuan ($315 billion) have listed more than 70 subsidiaries, including over 40 with defense-related businesses. About 25 per cent of the assets of the top 10 are now held in the listed companies, according to market analysts.

Some of these stocks have been strong performers. Sustained military outlays and the expectation of asset injections have insulated them from the country's current economic slowdown. They also tend to spike in price at times of increased tension between China and its neighbors over disputed territory.

The plan to buy more of their parent's military related assets would allow these listed companies to raise extra funds for research and development, the companies say.

AVIC subsidiary Hafei Aviation Industry Co Ltd plans to issue shares this year to buy 3.3 billion yuan ($520.5 million) in assets from its parent, including helicopter manufacturing companies.

"AVIC's injection of (its) helicopter business into the listed company will be a key experiment of China's strategic upgrade and transformation of its domestic defense and science industry," Hafei said in a July prospectus.

FALLING MILITARY IMPORTS

The growth of the domestic arms industry has allowed China to steadily reduce military imports. International arms transfer figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show China's defense imports fell 58 per cent between 2007 and 2011.

In this period, China slipped to fourth place in the ranks of global arms buyers after holding top position in the five years to 2006.

"The PLA has clearly turned away from acquiring foreign developed platforms," says Scott Harold, a China analyst for the Santa Monica, California-based Rand Corporation.

After double digit, annual increases in outlays over most of the last 20 years, China's military spending is now second only to the United States.

In March, Beijing announced its defense budget for this year would increase 11.2 per cent to $106 billion but some foreign analysts believe this understates the country's overall military budget.

In its annual report on the Chinese military, the Pentagon in May estimated Beijing's total 2012 spending would be between $120 billion and $180 billion. Washington will spend $614 billion on its military this year.

Private data analyst, IHS Jane's Defense Budgets, forecasts that Beijing's annual outlays will reach almost $240 billion by 2015, more than the combined budgets of all nations in the Asia Pacific region and four times Japan's military spending.

About 30 per cent of China's military budget goes to weapons and equipment, according to Beijing's most recent defense White Paper published last year.

CASH OVERCOMES INEFFICIENCIES

Military experts say that alongside reorganization and streamlining launched in the late 1990s, this avalanche of cash has sharply improved the output from key sectors of the Chinese defense industry despite the inefficiencies of many big state-owned companies, widespread corruption and a lack of official or public oversight.

"There is just something about money, and the more of it the better," says Rand Corp's Harold.

Russian weapons, including Su-27 fighters, Kilo-class submarines and Sovremenny-class cruisers, remain some of the PLA's most potent hardware.

However, some Chinese-made equipment is now thought to be comparable to their Russian or Western counterparts, military experts say, although they acknowledge that accurate information about the performance of PLA weapons remains scarce.

Over the last decade, China has launched two classes of locally designed and built conventional submarines that are now the mainstays of the PLA's underwater fleet.

It has also built versions of the Su-27 combat aircraft and begun mass production of its J-10 fighter that some experts rank with the U.S.-made F-16 in performance. China reportedly has developed its first stealth fighter, the J-20, but details of its capabilities remain unclear.

Chinese factories also appear to have made rapid progress in developing a range of advanced missiles. These include up to 1,000 ballistic and cruise missiles deployed against Taiwan and new mobile launchers for the PLA's nuclear weapons.

Even in more basic equipment, China's arms industry appears to have made significant improvements. In little over a decade, shabby uniforms and poor quality footwear have been replaced with smart, comfortable looking camouflage uniforms, lightweight helmets and solid combat boots.

Ground troops carry new assault rifles and small arms, while modern tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery have been introduced to replace equipment derived from Soviet designs of the 1950s.

Arms trade experts conclude that China's factories are now capable of satisfying most of the PLA's needs - and that of other nations as well.

In the 10 years to 2011, China's foreign military sales increased 95 per cent, making it the sixth largest arms supplier behind the UK, SIPRI figures show. Sales of jet fighters, warships and tanks to political ally Pakistan, however, account for much of this increase.

TECHNOLOGY WEAKNESS

Despite clear progress, some glaring weaknesses remain in Chinese defense technology, military experts say.

The PLA still appears reliant on imports of high performance jet engines from Russia for its most advanced fighters despite decades of research and development aimed at developing local power plants.

It also depends on dual-use, imported engine technology from Europe for its warships, submarines and armored vehicles.

Domestic aerospace companies have so far been unable to build big military transport aircraft that are important for military mobility in a country as big as China. These companies also remain heavily dependent on European, U.S. and Russian designs and technology for locally built helicopters.

Beijing is pinning its hopes on competitive market forces to help close these gaps as it continues its military spending spree.

That means more business for listed arms makers such as China Shipbuilding Industry Ltd which raised 8 billion yuan ($1.26 billion) in May from a convertible bond issue to buy military assets from its parent, the giant China Shipbuilding Industry Corp.

"With the construction of our country's navy steadily pushed forward, we expect our company's income from defense business to keep increasing," the company said in a May stock exchange statement.

(Editing by Bill Tarrant)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-china-builds-own-military-industrial-complex-211411700.html

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Secrets to Start Your Own Business - Social Media ... - Internet Radio

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    Francy and Friends is joined by best selling author Joel Isner who has sold over 100,000 books and he is stopping by to talk about his new book official biography Vincent Price's own words.

  • From burn survivor to Mrs Minnesota to the newly crowned Mrs International Sarah Bazey visits with the Best Ever You Show.

  • ESPN Analyst & Hall of Fame Football Coach Lou Holtz joins former player Oscar McBride's sports talk show Ask Oscar on TNNDN Network. McBride started on Coach Holtz's legendary 1993 Notre Dame team - stories are sure to flow with great questions & call-ins.

  • Paul Harding joins WordSmitten's host, Kate Sullivan, for this segment of About the Books. Harding will discuss his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Tinkers, and his time at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

  • Join Jaimi as she speaks with Wesley Legg (Producer) Unconditional Starring Michael Ealy, Kwesi Boakye, and Lynn Collins. Opening in Theaters September 21, 2012

  • Hour-long interview with Leonard Peikoff, the foremost authority on Ayn Rand and her philosophy, Objectivism. We discuss his recently released book, THE DIM HYPOTHESIS: WHY THE LIGHTS OF THE WEST ARE GOING OUT.

  • Denise & Janice Tunnell os Illusions Cosmetics will host an empowering conversation with Mikki Taylor, Editor-at-Large of Essence Magazine. Mikki Taylor is the quintessential authority on all matters regarding beauty. From A-list celebrities and world-renowne

  • Join us tonight for a real treat as Ms. Kellin Watson stops in on the Wolf and the bear! Kellin Watson is a nationally-touring singer-songwriter, whose award-winning sound blends elements of blues, pop, folk, and soul. Get Your "Swagger" on!

  • Chief Nathaniel and Nigerian Prince Emmanuel Aderele traveled to Africa to celebrate the Osun Festival, followed by the King of Oyo?s Sango Festival celebration both in Nigeria. We?ll be talking about Spirituality, Ancestors and Traditional Celebrations.

  • On the show this week, Actor/Voice Actor/Comedian Joe Gaudet. Currently, he is the voice of Professor Fizzy on PBS? 3 time Emmy nominated animated web series, ?Fizzy?s Lunch Lab.? It's the Fall Equinox and we're celebrating with Autumn Themed cocktails!

  • Visit Huntington Beach, known as Surf City USA, and the host of the U.S. Open of Surfing Championships. After watching a broadcast of the U.S. Open on NBC on Saturday this weekend, hear about what it's like to be in this beach town during a huge surfing event.

  • Murder at Midnight was a syndicated series that originated at New York's WJZ, originally broadcast from September 16, 1946 through September 8, 1947 and later rerun in the summer of 1950. The menacing tones that introduced the series belonged to Raymond Morgan

  • Paul Buzbee joins host Adam Ackley to preview the 2012 NFL season. Paul and Adam make predictions for the season and for week 1 of the new NFL season.

  • Butz and Butz Sports Radio from the OneCrazyFan.com tailgate truck at Lincoln Financial Field telling you everything you need to know for the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens pregame

  • Does a person deserve extra moral praise for acting rightly when tempted? It is wrong to judge others when I'm still flawed? Is chivalry virtuous? Do "blue laws" violate rights? Listen to philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh answer these questions!

  • Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/voaradio/2012/09/18/secrets-to-start-your-own-business--social-media-monitoring

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    Keeping families together | MailTribune.com

    Statewide move to aid at-risk children grew from program formed in Jackson County

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    A child finds a haven at the Family Nurturing Center in Medford, part of a Jackson County pilot program whose success led to a statewide law requiring counties to implement programs that strengthen and preserve families struggling with addiction and abuse issues by Oct. 1.Bob Pennell

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    September 16, 2012

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    AJackson County pilot program that helps abused and neglected children by supporting the entire family has proven so successful it is rolling out across the state as a new law ? and gaining national recognition.

    "The average number of kids in foster care for the past 10 to 15 years has been between 440 to 450 per year. We've reduced that number in Jackson County to about half," or about 240, said state Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland.

    "This is a huge, revolutionary change."

    Oregon Senate Bill 964, passed in June of 2011, requires the Department of Human Services and other county partners to implement programs that strengthen, preserve and reunify families by Oct. 1. It was drafted following months of meetings Bates and his wife held in their living room, where he and fellow Southern Oregon legislators met with treatment providers, child advocates, school administrators and program participants.

    The bill is now being implemented by other counties across the state and is under review as a national model, as news spreads of Jackson County's success in the collaborative family recovery effort spearheaded by OnTrack Inc. Executive Director Rita Sullivan, Bates said.

    The notion that society can rescue at-risk kids by isolating them from their parents and placing them in foster care is a false one, Sullivan said.

    She believes such a policy has only created a new generation of parents who in turn abuse their children out of ignorance and addiction, she said.

    Funded by two federal grants, and with the support of several community partners, Sullivan began betting on a different plan for Jackson County families five years ago, said Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Crain.

    Crain presides over Community Family Court and Drug Court programs. She has spoken nationally about the effectiveness of Jackson County's programs, which have proven to reduce recidivism and the amount of time a child spends in foster care. She recently won a state 2012 Chief Justice Juvenile Court Champion award for her lifetime contributions in juvenile dependency and child welfare issues.

    The new system still protects children and requires parents to be accountable, Crain said. But the holistic program has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in children in foster care by providing wraparound support for struggling parents, Crain said.

    OnTrack and other partners offer parents a period of stable housing, drug and alcohol counseling, parenting education and therapeutic care for their children, Sullivan said.

    "The federal government could see foster care costs rising, and the outcomes were bad," Sullivan said.

    The grants Sullivan wrote and won for the county are sundowning at the end of this year, Crain said. She and others hope that additional state and federal funding, redirected DHS dollars and savings from fewer foster-care homes will help sustain the new system that is showing such success.

    A practicing physician for more than 30 years, Bates said he has seen innocent children bear the consequences of bad parenting all too often. Like many, Bates was a staunch believer that the best way to rescue a child born into these circumstances was to remove that child permanently ? and as quickly as possible, he said.

    "My position was that was the only way for the child to have a chance at success," Bates said. "It took me awhile to be open to facts."

    Sullivan and the other partners presented facts that could not be ignored, he said. For 30 years Oregon has had one of the highest number of foster children in the nation ? and a data trail showing most were failing in life. Bates said he learned the population was rife with dropouts, drug and alcohol abusers, criminals cycling in and out of incarceration. And the worst news of all, they were creating a new generation of lost children.

    "Once we saw it wasn't working, we needed to know why, and what to do," Bates said.

    Most children sent into Oregon's foster care system are never adopted, Bates said. Many go from one foster-care home to another. Feelings of loss, loneliness and alienation of being shuffled from home to home and school to school are compounded by their lack of a family safety net, he said.

    Once the children age out of the system at 18, they are set adrift. Many fall prey to the cycle of drug addiction and criminal behavior that plagued their parents, said Pam Bergreen, Jackson County Department of Human Services coordinator.

    The new mandates and programs are welcomed by DHS caseworkers, said Bergreen. In fact, it's been a dream of hers since she was a caseworker in the mid-1970s.


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    "I used to have a dream where if I won the lottery, I'd send the whole family to get help," Bergreen said. "The truth is the more we invest, and the sooner we invest, the greater the human savings will be and the greater the fiscal savings will be."

    Not every parent should get their children back under the new mandates. Nor will they, said Sullivan.

    "We're not Pollyannas," said Sullivan.

    Twenty percent to 30 percent of parents should not have their children returned because they are physically violent or sexually abusive. But for the other 70 percent to 80 percent who are struggling with addiction or other issues, the new law allows DHS a vehicle to do what it's been trying to do, she said.

    "The majority of kids (who are removed from the home by DHS) go back home anyway," Sullivan said. "Let's strengthen the family and not break those bonds."

    Parent and child have a primal attachment, Bergreen agreed.

    "The truth is, what can be more traumatic for a child than the loss of their parent? Even if a child is voluntarily placed in adoption proceedings, to lose that is devastating," she said.

    There is strength in families, even dysfunctional ones. Many parents who are addicted are not abusive. But in many families where the parents struggle with addiction or mental health issues, the child becomes the caregiver.

    "A lot of these kids worry, worry, worry about their moms and dads," Bergreen said. "My hope has always been to keep that child with that family and push trouble out of their lives."

    Jessica Scott, 29, works as a women's outpatient counselor at OnTrack.

    Scott's parents were meth addicts, and her life was filled with chaos and criminal behavior, she said. Scott followed her own path into drugs and crime. She married and had her first child at age 17. Two more children resulted from a second relationship. Ultimately, Scott's drug use and behavior caused her children to be taken by the state and placed in the temporary custody of her father, who had become sober and remarried after leaving Scott's mother.

    "I just got super crazy after that," Scott said. "I wish I could say that wasn't how I reacted, but I did. But one day I just woke up and thought, 'I just want my kids back.' It's not normal to be a mom and not have your kids with you."

    Scott was lucky her children were able to stay with a family member. And that they were returned to her. She is also grateful that after a relapse in 2007, she was able to get into OnTrack crisis housing. The program she entered allowed her to get the treatment she needed while keeping her children with her.

    "I think that all the services, all of the tools, and that piece of not having my children taken, it all helped me through," Scott said.

    After pumping gas at minimum wage to support her three children, Scott attended Rogue Community College and was eventually hired by OnTrack in 2009. Scott now goes with DHS workers to offer OnTrack services.

    Scott's mother is now sober as well, she said.

    "My whole family is in recovery," Scott said.

    Jennifer Mylenek, director of Court Appointed Special Advocates, also attended the strategy meetings at Bates' home. Creating a viable network of support for at-risk families is challenging work, she said.

    "It's a complicated piece of work," said Mylenek. "The notion that we rescue the kids by 'killing' the parents isn't a solution."


    While the number of children placed in foster care has been drastically reduced, the number of abuse and neglect cases is on the rise, Mylenek said. Families are still dealing with addiction, poverty and generational abuse issues. But the solution for ending the cycle appear to be on the horizon with the new system of supportive intervention. The success rate, measured by the number of kids who are not re-entering the system, is more than 60 percent, Mylenek said.

    "There's a lot more hope for a lot more kids," Mylenek said.

    Crain said there are still between 400 to 500 petitions for temporary or permanent state custody filed in Jackson County per year. But even when a child must be removed from his home, there is an effort to find a family member who can take him. And, if not, a new breed of foster parents is working to nurture the child while helping his parents gain skills, she said.

    "We used to recruit foster parents to be avenging angels," Bergreen said. "But our mission is to return children to their parents, to their families."

    Krystal McQuade, 28, was sexually abused as a child. Her molester denied the abuse and was never punished, she said. The betrayal made her lose faith in all adults. She started smoking marijuana at age 13, and meth when she was 15.

    "I found I could numb myself using drugs," McQuade said, adding she barely finished the seventh grade and ran away from home.

    She entered a series of abusive relationships. McQuade has three children by two fathers. Her mother took custody and eventually adopted her oldest daughter. Her second daughter is with the child's paternal grandfather, she said.

    Now one year sober, thanks to OnTrack programs, McQuade has custody of her young son.

    "Every goal that I have is built upon myself and my kids," McQuade said. "I was very broken before I came to OnTrack. I was so done with drugs and so afraid to ask for help."

    Sullivan said simply becoming sober does not necessarily make one a better parent. While McQuade was getting clean and sober, her son received care at another program partner, the Family Nurturing Center, she said.

    Mary-Curtis Gramley is the executive director of the therapeutic care nursery. Gramley and staff perform assessments on infants and toddlers and visit their homes to determine whether there are safety threats following referrals from OnTrack, DHS or family court, Gramley said. And they offer respite and education to struggling parents, she said.

    "We hear over and over about the trauma of removing a child from its parents. Now add to that the issue of many other challenges. We can ask just so much of children before they just can't give it to us," Gramley said. "We're asking people to live their lives differently so that they can care for their children."

    McQuade is working on adopting her oldest daughter back from her mother, and rebuilding her relationship with her middle child.

    "It's a whole lot brighter on this side of the fence," McQuade said. "Every step was a miracle."

    Sullivan and the other partners are eager to take this wrap-around care model and use it with parents who are suffering from mental illness or from developmental delays or domestic violence issues. The savings in lives and money should make it self-sustaining, Sullivan said.

    "If we know kids are better off in families, we need to have the financing to make that happen," Sullivan said.

    Source: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120916/NEWS/209160307/-1/rss01

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