Thursday, February 28, 2013

Sourdough Bacteria Pump Out Mold Killers

60-Second Science

The sourdough bread bacteria Lactobacillus hammesii produces antifungal compounds as it digests bread flour. Christopher Intagliata reports

More 60-Second Science

As many San Franciscans have noticed, sourdough bread stays fresher longer than the regular stuff. Sourdough?s extended freshness is due to extra fermentation that traps more moisture in the dough. But now we know that sourdough?s longevity is also because it can ward off mold. Because bacteria in some sourdough starters actually produce mold-killing compounds?essentially natural preservatives.

Most sourdough starters contain strains of Lactobacillus bacteria, like the poster child Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. Eight years ago, researchers isolated another strain called Lactobacillus hammesii from a French sourdough starter.

They've now discovered that the strain pumps out a potent antifungal as it digests bread flour. So they baked bread with the L. hammesii starter, sliced it, and waited. The loaf resisted mold for 12 days?a few days more than L. sanfranciscensis sourdough, and twice as long as typical bread. Those results are in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. [Brenna A. Black et al., Antifungal hydroxy-fatty acids produced during sourdough fermentation: microbial and enzymatic pathways, and antifungal activity in bread]

L. hammesii isn't the most common sourdough strain. But researchers say it could eliminate the need for added preservatives. Which would mean store-bought sourdough that's additive-free and lasts for weeks. Assuming you can wait that long to eat it.

?Christopher Intagliata

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]


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Suspect in Las Vegas Strip killings arrested in Los Angeles

By Jason Kandel and Nyree Arabian, NBCLosAngeles.com

The suspect in last week's triple slaying on the Las Vegas Strip has been arrested in Los Angeles, the Clark County District Attorney's Office said on Thursday.

Ammar Harris, 26, was taken into custody in LA in connection with the shooting death of Oakland rapper Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr. aka Kenny Clutch, officials said.

Details about his arrest were not immediately available. KSNV, NBC's affiliate in Las Vegas, reported that the suspect was hiding out in LA at a friend's home that a task force of officers had been watching.

Las Vegas police expect to have more information about the arrest at an afternoon press conference.

Police accuse the suspect of being the driver of a Range Rover from which gunfire erupted, killing the 27-year-old rapper.

Clutch died at the wheel of a Maserati.

The Maserati crashed into a taxicab which subsequently exploded, killing the driver and the 48-year old passenger.

Harris was identified by police as the lead suspect in the case.

Harris could be seen online boasting about the stacks of money that have come his way thanks to being a pimp, according to reports.

In one video, Harris "flashes a thick stack" of $100 bills.

In a Web posting, he boasts of the flock of women at his home, all of whom are working for him.

In another, he talks about the birthday party he is organizing on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, replete with a $1,000 bikini contest, the AP reported.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/28/17135825-suspect-in-las-vegas-strip-killings-arrested-in-los-angeles?lite

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Source: http://www.cv-jobinterview.com/node/8310

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Put an End to Spoiled, Wasted Food with This Handy Chart

Put an End to Spoiled, Wasted Food with This Handy Chart The costs of wasted food go far beyond the money you may have wasted buying something and letting it spoil. We've talked about ways to stop wasting food before, but if all you really need to know is "How long will this stay fresh and how should I store it," this helpful chart will help.

This chart, sent over to us by our friends at Visual.ly, does a great job at listing some common foods and how long they'll stay fresh and safe to eat based on different storage methods (along with a few that you might be tempted to freeze but really shouldn't.) At the bottom the chart goes into detail about the differences between the "sell by," "use by," and "expires on" dates you commonly see on packaging at the store. Put simply, those dates refer to the quality of the food and how often a store should rotate its stock to ensure freshness?it has nothing to do with the safety of the food.

Its also worth noting that while the chart has good data, don't forget to trust your nose?if you've stored your food properly, you can usually beat most expiration dates and keep your food fresher, longer. For another reference, check out previously mentioned Still Tasty and type in the type of food you're curious about. Otherwise, click the chart below to enlarge, or hit the link below to see it at Visual.ly.

The Shelf Life of Food | Visual.ly
Put an End to Spoiled, Wasted Food with This Handy Chart

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/3j2K4XNLYLM/put-an-end-to-spoiled-wasted-food-with-this-handy-chart

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Santa Cruz Shooting: 2 Police Officers Shot And Killed During Sexual Assault Investigation; Suspect Also Killed

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. ? Two police detectives were shot and killed while investigating a sexual assault complaint, and a suspect was also fatally shot after a brief chase, authorities said.

The veteran officers, one male and one female, were shot around 3:30 p.m. as they went to a suspect's home to follow up on the case. Their deaths were confirmed by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak.

A suspect was shot and killed a short time later while authorities were pursuing the gunman, the sheriff's office said.

After the officers were shot, nearby residents received an automatic police call warning them to stay locked inside. About half an hour later, more than a dozen semi-automatic shots echoed down the streets in a brief barrage of gunfire that killed the suspect.

Police Chief Kevin Vogel said Sgt. Loren Butch Baker, a 28-year veteran, and Detective Elizabeth Butler, a 10-year veteran, were shot and killed.

"There aren't words to describe this horrific tragedy," he said. "This is the darkest day in the history of the Santa Cruz police department."

The suspect who was killed in the shooting was identified as 35-year-old Jeremy Goulet, who was arrested Friday after a co-worker at a Santa Cruz coffee shop alleged he went to her house and made inappropriate sexual advances. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that he was fired the next day.

To investigate the complaint, the detectives went to the house where Goulet was living and an altercation ensued, leading to the officers being fired upon, authorities said.

The detectives called for backup and neighbors also summoned police. Responding officers located Goulet a short time later. The sheriff's office said he was killed in the gunfire that followed.

After the shootings, police went door-to-door in the neighborhood, searching homes, garages, even closets to determine whether there might be additional suspects.

Police, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents filled intersections, some with guns drawn, in what is ordinarily a quiet, residential neighborhood in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco.

A store clerk a few buildings away from the shooting said the barrage of gunfire was "terrifying."

"We ducked. We have big desks so under the desks we went," said the clerk, who spoke on condition of anonymity and asked that her store not be identified because she feared for her safety.

Two schools were locked down during the shooting. The students were later evacuated by bus to the County Government Center about half a mile away.

As darkness fell, helicopters and light aircraft patrolled above the neighborhood, which is about a mile from downtown Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The campus of University of California, Santa Cruz, is about five miles away.

The city's mayor, Hilary Bryant, said in a statement that the city was shocked over the shootings.

"Tonight we are heartbroken at the loss of two of our finest police officers who were killed in the line of duty, protecting the community we love," the statement said. "This is an exceptionally shocking and sad day for Santa Cruz and our Police Department."

Goulet worked as a barista at a coffee shop in the Santa Cruz harbor. He was convicted in Portland, Ore., in May 2008 of peeping at a 22-year-old woman who was showering in her condominium and of carrying concealed weapon, according to a Portland newspaper, The Oregonian. He was put on probation but, after a dispute with his probation officer, was sentenced to two years in jail.

The violence comes amid a recent spate of assaults in the city, which community leaders had planned to address in a downtown rally scheduled for Tuesday. That, along with a city council meeting, was canceled after teary-eyed city leaders learned of the deaths.

Those shootings include the killing of a 32-year-old martial arts instructor who was shot outside a popular downtown bar and restaurant; the robbery of a UC Santa Cruz student who was shot in the head; a 21-year-old woman who was raped and beaten on the UC Santa Cruz campus; and a couple who fought off two men during a home invasion.

___

Associated Press writer John S. Marshall in San Francisco contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/santa-cruz-shooting_n_2770724.html

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Lew set to start at Treasury amid budget crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Jacob Lew is scheduled to be sworn in Thursday as Treasury secretary and will have to hit the ground running.

He is taking over the job just a day before huge automatic government spending cuts are set to take effect. He's likely to be involved with any negotiations to reverse the cuts, and also in budget talks next month to continue funding the government.

The Senate confirmed Lew late Wednesday, affirming President Barack Obama's choice of a budget expert at a time when Congress and the White House are at odds over spending and taxes.

"At this critical time for our economy and our country, there is no one more qualified for this position than Jack," Obama said in a statement issued after the Senate vote. "His reputation as a master of fiscal issues who can work with leaders on both sides of the aisle has already helped him succeed in some of the toughest jobs in Washington."

The vote was 71 to 26 to support the nomination. Voting against Lew's confirmation were 25 Republicans and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Lew, 57, had most recently served as Obama's chief of staff. He succeeds Timothy Geithner, who completed a tumultuous four-year term in which he helped lead the administration's response to the financial crisis and recession.

Lew began his government service in the 1980s as an aide to House Speaker Tip O'Neill. He brings nearly three decades of government service to the job, including two stints as White House budget director.

Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who opposed the nomination, said Lew as budget director was the architect of the Obama's administration's failed efforts to get soaring deficits under control.

During his confirmation hearing, Lew signaled no major economic policy changes. He advocated a balanced approach to reducing the long-term budget deficit through spending cuts and additional tax revenue.

He said he would be open to reforms to Medicare, but he didn't spell out any details. Lew also said he would work with the committee on a rewrite of the tax code.

Beyond the budget, Lew is expected to hew closely to the positions Geithner struck on Europe's debt crisis, the U.S. relationship with China and the administration's defense of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law that the banking industry has fought to weaken.

Some Republicans voted against Lew because they were not satisfied with his answers about his previous employment with Citigroup, including a brief time when he was chief operating officer for an investment unit in 2008. The unit has been criticized for making risky investments that imploded during the financial crisis. And Lew received a bonus of nearly $1 million in early 2009, a time when Citi was being bailed out by taxpayers.

Lew told the panel that he didn't make decisions about the investments being offered to clients. He said his bonus reflected compensation for his work.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, opposed Lew's nomination. He cited questions about his time at Citi, as well as Lew's compensation while working as chief operating officer at New York University.

"Mr. Lew's eagerness and skill in obtaining bonuses, severance payments, housing allowances and other perks raises concerns about whether he appreciates who pays the bills," Grassley said.

One potential weakness for Lew: His relative inexperience with financial markets and international economic crises ? areas that had played to Geithner's background. Analysts think Lew will keep pressuring Europe to deal aggressively with its budget and debt issues. But they think this will consume less of his time given that Europe's debt crisis now poses less of a threat to the global economy.

On trade, Lew is expected to keep prodding China. The U.S. trade gap with the world's second-largest economy hit another record high last year. No breakthrough is expected, though.

Lew will also need to calm investors who have grown concerned about possible currency wars after Japan's new government sought to lower the value of the yen as a way to boost exports and its weak economy. A weaker yen makes Japanese goods cheaper overseas and foreign goods costlier in Japan.

And Lew will need to defend the Dodd-Frank Act, which overhauled financial regulation after the 2008 crisis. Since the law was passed in 2010, Wall Street has fought to weaken many of its stricter regulations.

He may also need to work on his signature, which starts off with a soft "J'' but is followed by seven loopy scribbles that render it illegible. The Treasury secretary's signature is emblazoned in the lower right corner of U.S. dollar bills of all denominations.

When he announced Lew's nomination, Obama said Lew had promised to work to make one letter legible "in order not to debase our currency."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lew-set-start-treasury-budget-cuts-loom-090252492.html

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Newt pheromones: They drive the ladies crazy

Franky Bossuyt

The male alpine Ichthyosaura alpestris newt knows that it isn't the tail waving that attracts the ladies, but the pheromones that he uses.

By Joseph Castro
LiveScience

It may be time to crown male newts as the female-arousing kings ? the amphibians release powerful pheromones that put females in the mood to mate with practically any adult around, even other females from different newt species, new research shows.

"The females react as if they're under the influence of drugs," said lead researcher Franky Bossuyt, a biologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels) in Belgium. "We were convinced that if we put in a plastic toy moving at the right speed, they would follow it."

Newts typically live on land as adults and mate exclusively in water. During the breeding season, males adopt intense color patterns and grow skin extensions on their legs, tail and crest. These changes are thought to make males more attractive to females.

When two newts meet, the male releases pheromones and waves his tail, sending the chemical signals to the female. They then play out a mating dance akin to a short game of tag, with the female following after the male. To let him know she's ready to get down to business, the female touches the male's tail with her nose, prompting him to deposit his spermatophore ? a jellylike mass containing sperm??onto a substrate in the water, such as a leaf. Finally, he leads the female over the sperm packet, which sticks to her cloaca (the orifice leading to intestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts), resulting in insemination.

For years, scientists thought males waved their tails to disperse "attractant pheromones," which broadcast the male's presence and bring newt pairs together. But there's a problem with this idea: The newts have already introduced themselves before the male waves his tail. "The females are not attracted to the males by the tail-waving, at least with the newts I've seen," Bossuyt said.

Instead, the researchers thought, the tail fanning might disperse "courtship pheromones" that alter the female's behavior to stimulate mating.

Newt mating game
To find out, researchers placed male-female pairs of alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) into water-filled plastic containers for receptivity tests. The newts passed the test and were ready for the next phase if they completed the courtship ritual (females weren't allowed to complete the insemination).

The team then put two-female pairs into pheromone-infused courtship?water; some pairs consisted of two alpine newts, other pairs had one female of each species. If the water contained pheromones from a male of her species, the female would desperately try to court the other female. In some cases, two female alpine newts tried to follow each other, resulting in the pair circling one another. In some two-species trials, one female chased after another, even as the unreceptive partner tried to escape the container. [See video of the sex-crazed newts]

But the amphibians didn't remain patient forever. Not receiving the spermatophore she expected, the courting female eventually started waving her tail at her partner, possibly sending out pheromones.

Frustrated females
"Female tale-waving?is a kind of frustration behavior," Bossuyt explained, adding that females also tail-waved in receptivity tests to get males to continue courtship after researchers removed the spermatophores. In natural settings, this behavior probably happens only in uncommon situations, such as when a male is too tired for courtship. "So female tail-waving likely happens in nature, but you will not easily observe it," he said.

The results suggest the pheromones don't just announce the male's arrival, given how they induced such an overpowering mating reaction in the females. The researchers think males may have evolved such potent pheromones out of necessity, since newts often breed in turbid water with other newt species, making it difficult to mate based on vision alone.

It seems a male newt's flashy appearance matters little to females: It's all about his smell.

The research was detailed online this month in the journal PLOS ONE.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter?@livescience. We're also on Facebook?and Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/26/17106274-newt-pheromones-they-just-drive-the-mating-females-crazy?lite

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BACKWOODS SURVIVAL BLOG: MOVIE REVIEW: "Knowing" (2009)

This week's regular Tuesday afternoon Doomer Fiction film review centers on "Knowing" (2009) [Blu-ray] (DVD version).

It follows a Professor of Astrophysics at MIT (played by Nicolas Cage), struggling to try to raise his son alone, having lost his wife in a freak accident a year or so prior.? Then, one day, he finds himself presented with a number sequence-based puzzle that emerged from a fifty-year-old time capsule and, inexplicably, seems to predict the exact date, location, and number of victims killed in every major global disaster going back to when the numbers were written.? As a scientist, he is a natural skeptic (in fact, he's estranged from his Preacher father as part of his issues with Faith); so, needless to say, the whole concept throws his already shaky world into an even worse state of disarray.

Meanwhile, the sun is in a period of increased activity, causing unusually high temperatures and record-setting droughts as solar flare activity ramps-up.? Needless to say, this will play a larger role in the narrative as the movie goes on.

This is an interesting film, because it defies typical Doomer Fiction stereotypes.? It could, obviously, be considered a disaster movie as well as apocalyptic -- but it also strays into themes that could represent science-fiction and/or Christianity and other forms of spirituality, depending on how the viewer chooses to interpret what they see.? Without giving away too much, expect to see allusions to what may or may not be Angels, Extraterrestrials, the Tree of Life, and Adam and Eve; as well as the vision seen by Ezekiel in 1:4-6 of the Old Testament, which some have interpreted as a description of an encounter with an alien spacecraft as seen through the eyes of a Bronze Age prophet with no frame of reference to help him explain what he was seeing.? Best of all, I think, the film makes no hamfisted attempts to tell you what you're seeing; the viewer is free to interpret it however they see fit, and the film's final moments speak a great deal about Faith, forgiveness, new beginnings, and letting go.

Critics hated this movie, but, then again, half of the movies I've ever loved were ones that the critics hated.? To be honest with you, I feel like this is a film that will be appreciated more by intelligent people and those who have a leaning toward being spiritual, in a general sense -- critics called it cliche, but I was rather moved by it.? At the price this film is going for in both Bluray and DVD formats, I'd feel confident recommending it to any fan of the Doomer Fiction genre.? If you haven't yet given it a chance, do so.? It isn't the best, or even one of the best films you'll ever see, but the odds are you'll come to the finish feeling as though you more than got your money's worth.

Source: http://www.backwoodssurvivalblog.com/2013/02/movie-review-knowing-2009.html

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The Engadget Interview: Nokia head of design Marko Ahtisaari at MWC 2013

The Engadget Interview Nokia head of design Marko Ahtisaari at MWC 2013

Hot on the heels of our interview with Stephen Elop, we sat down with Marko Ahtisaari -- head of design at Nokia -- to chat about the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 Windows Phones along with the basic Lumia 301 and 105 models. The four handsets, which were introduced today at Mobile World Congress, share the same design language -- in fact, this marks the first time the company's extending its signature Lumia look and feel to devices costing as little as €15 ($20). We discussed the evolution of Nokia's current aesthetic from the Nokia N9 (and the Lumia 800) to the present day. Mr. Ahtisaari touched upon the engineering challenges involved in building affordable smartphones like the €139 ($184) Lumia 520. We talked about the Lumia 720's thin and light unibody shell and the Lumia 620's double-shot color scheme, then asked how the Asha design language fits into the current lineup. Curious about the answer? Watch our video interview after the break.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/uPUCgB2hmVs/

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Obama says nation is stronger, GOP should back his plans

Wednesday February 13, 2013

WASHINGTON -- Uncompromising and politically emboldened, President Barack Obama urged a deeply divided Congress Tuesday night to embrace his plans to use government money to create jobs and strengthen the nation?s middle class. He declared Republican ideas for reducing the deficit "even worse" than the unpalatable deals Washington had to stomach during his first term.

In his first State of the Union address since winning re-election, Obama conceded economic revival is an "unfinished task," but he claimed clear progress and said he prepared to build on it as he embarks on four more years in office.

"We have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is strong," Obama said in an hour-long address to a joint session of Congress and a television audience of millions.

Yet with unemployment persistently high and consumer confidence falling, the economy remains a vulnerability for Obama and could disrupt his plans for pursuing a broader agenda, including immigration overhaul, stricter gun laws and climate change legislation.

Obama also announced new steps to reduce the U.S. military footprint abroad, with 34,000 American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan within a year. And he had a sharp rebuke for North Korea, which launched a nuclear test just hours before his remarks, saying, "Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them further."

In

specific proposals for shoring up the economy in his second term, an assertive Obama called for increased federal spending to fix the nation?s roads and bridges, the first increase in the minimum wage in six years and expansion of early education to every American 4-year-old. Seeking to appeal for support from Republicans, he promised that none of his proposals would increase the deficit "by a single dime" although he didn?t explain how he would pay for his programs or how much they would cost.

In the Republican response to Obama?s address, rising GOP star Marco Rubio of Florida came right back at the president, saying his solution "to virtually every problem we face is for Washington to tax more, borrow more and spend more."

Sen. Rubio, in prepared remarks, said presidents of both parties have recognized that the free enterprise system brings middle-class prosperity.

"But President Obama?" Rubio said. "He believes it?s the cause of our problems."

Still, throughout the House chamber there were symbolic displays of bipartisanship. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., arrived early and sat with Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., just returned in January nearly a year after suffering a debilitating stroke. As a captain in the National Guard, Duckworth lost both her legs while serving in Iraq in 2004.

A few aisles away, the top two tax writers in Congress, Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., sat together.

But as a sign that divisions still remain, three of the most conservative Supreme Court justices skipped Obama?s speech. Six of the nine attended. Missing were Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito.

Jobs and growth dominated Obama?s address. Many elements of his economic blueprint were repacked proposals from his first term that failed to gain traction on Capitol Hill.

Standing in Obama?s way now is a Congress that remains nearly as divided as it was during the final years of his first term, when Washington lurched from one crisis to another.

The president implored lawmakers to break through partisan logjams, asserting that "the greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next."

"Americans don?t expect government to solve every problem," he said. "They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can."

Yet Obama offered few signs of being willing to compromise himself, instead doubling down on his calls to create jobs by spending more government money and insisting that lawmakers pay down the deficit through a combination of targeted spending cuts and tax increases. But he offered few specifics on what he wanted to see cut, focusing instead on the need to protect programs that help the middle class, elderly and poor.

He did reiterate his willingness to tackle entitlement changes, particularly on Medicare, though he has ruled out increasing the eligibility age for the popular benefit program for seniors.

Republicans are ardently opposed to Obama?s calls for legislating more tax revenue to reduce the deficit and offset broad the automatic spending cuts -- known as the sequester -- that are to take effect March 1. The president accused GOP lawmakers of shifting the cuts from defense to programs that would help the middle class and elderly, as well as those supporting education and job training.

"That idea is even worse," he said.

Obama broke little new ground on two agenda items he has pushed vigorously since winning re-election: overhauling the nation?s fractured immigration laws and enacting tougher gun control measures in the wake of the horrific massacre of school children in Newtown, Conn. Yet he pressed for urgency on both, calling on Congress to send him an immigration bill "in the next few months" and insisting lawmakers hold votes on his gun proposals.

"Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress," he said. "If you want to vote no, that?s your choice."

On the economy, Obama called for raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 by 2015. The minimum wage has been stagnant since 2007, and administration officials said the increase would strengthen purchasing power. The president also wants Congress to approve automatic increases in the wage to keep pace with inflation.

Looking for common ground anywhere he could find it, Obama framed his proposal to boost the minimum wage by pointing out that even his GOP presidential rival liked the idea. He said, "Here?s an idea that Gov. Romney and I actually agreed on last year: Let?s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on."

Obama also renewed his calls for infrastructure spending, investments he sought repeatedly during his first term with little support from Republicans. He pressed lawmakers to approve a $50 billion "fix it first" program that would address the most urgent infrastructure needs.

Education also figures in Obama?s plans to boost American competitiveness in the global economy. Under his proposal, the federal government would help states provide pre-school for all 4-year-olds. Officials did not provide a cost for the pre-school programs but said the government would provide financial incentives to help states.

Among the other initiatives Obama is proposing:

-- A $1 billion plan to create 15 "manufacturing institutes" that would bring together businesses, universities and the government. If Congress opposes the initiative, Obama plans to use his presidential powers to create three institutes on his own.

-- Creation of an "energy security trust" that would use revenue from federal oil and gas leases to support development of clean energy technologies such as biofuels and natural gas

-- Doubling of renewable energy in the U.S. from wind, solar and geothermal sources by 2020.

Tuesday night?s address marked Obama?s most expansive remarks on the economy since the November election. Since securing a second term, the president has focused more heavily on new domestic policy proposals, including immigration changes and preventing gun violence.

Obama also called on Congress to tackle the threat of climate change, another issue that eluded him in his first term. The president pledged to work with lawmakers to seek bipartisan solutions but said if Capitol Hill doesn?t act, he?ll order his Cabinet to seek steps he can take using his presidential powers.

Taking a swipe at those who question the threat of global warming, Obama said, "We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science - and act before it?s too late."

Obama also called on Congress to pass legislation giving the government more power to combat the rapidly growing threat of cyberattacks. And, as a down payment on that, the president announced that he has signed an executive order to fight electronic espionage through the development of voluntary standards to protect networks and computer systems that run critical infrastructure.

Source: http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_22578315/obama-says-nation-is-stronger-gop-should-back?source=rss

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Friday, February 1, 2013

Severe Weather is No Match for EMC Security's Redundant ...

As severe thunderstorms and a confirmed tornado is rip through Metro-Atlanta and the North Georgia area, the nearly 40,000 EMC Security customers can rest assured knowing that monitoring of their home will continue no matter how severe the Atlanta weather.? Customers get this much needed assurance thanks to EMC Security?s exclusive Secure Path Technology that includes redundant monitoring.? The technology of redundant monitoring allows simultaneous monitoring by two monitoring stations- one station located in Suwanee, Georgia and the other station located in Gainesville, Florida. ? Each monitoring station is stationed? in two completely different geographical areas for the very reason of natural disasters.?? EMC Security customers are continuously, seamlessly monitored through any storm!? For more information on Secure Path technology and redundant monitoring, please contact an EMC Security representative at 770-963-0305.

Tags: best alarm monitoring north georgia, emc security redundant monitoring, redundant monitoring georgia, Secure Path technology, security monitoring north georgia

Source: http://emcsecurity.com/blog/2013/01/30/severe-weather-is-no-match-for-emc-securitys-redundant-monitoring/

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