Rice study: Convenient Election Day voting centers can improve voter turnout

Public release date: 31-Oct-2011
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Contact: David Ruth
druth@rice.edu
713-348-6327
Rice University

The convenience of Election Day voting centers can increase voter turnout, according to a new paper by political scientists Robert Stein of Rice University and Greg Vonnahme of the University of Alabama.

"Voting at Non-Precinct Polling Places: A Review and Research Agenda" appears in the latest issue of the Election Law Journal. The paper is an analysis of existing research on voter identification and nonprecinct voting, two subjects that have generated considerable debate in the media and between political parties.

While suggestions of widespread voter fraud and the impact of various voting laws and reforms may be overstated, the positive impact of voting centers is not, said Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice. Of all the election laws, reforms and voting methods, Election Day voting centers are the only system that has had an appreciable effect on voter turnout.

"Over the last 3-5 years, research has revealed that implementation of voting centers has led to up to a 10 percent increase in not only voter turnout, but turnout of people who wouldn't normally vote," Stein said.

Stein compared voting to shopping, saying that most store owners try to make the shopping experience easy for customers. Thanks to their size and accessibility, voting centers have the same positive impact on voting, he said.

"In dozens of states, we've found that if voters have an opportunity to vote at a location that's more central to where they conduct their daily business, they're more likely to vote," Stein said. "Voting is not unlike any other type of retail sale. Customers don't want to spend a lot of extra time looking for a place to shop, a parking space or a manager. The same is true for voters, particularly those who are as undecided about who to vote for as they are to vote."

According to Stein, voting centers work best in low-density urban areas, rather than cities with large walking populations, and are most appealing to voters who are less likely to vote due to hectic schedules.

"It may sound demeaning or undemocratic, but the simple fact of the matter is that for most Americans, voting is not a high-priority activity," he said. "When we have elections, people require convenience."

Stein hopes that the paper will encourage more awareness and research of nonprecinct voting in an effort to help citizens and their representatives make informed and intelligent choices about the mode of election administration they want to adopt.

###

For more information or to arrange an interview with Stein, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at druth@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

Related links:

Video Making voting more convenient: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR8YYpaMeYE

Voting at Non-Precinct Polling Places: A Review and Research Agenda: http://bakerinstitute.org/publications/POL-pub-SteinVonnahmeELJPolling-100311.pdf

Robert Stein bio: http://politicalscience.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=145

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is known for its "unconventional wisdom." With 3,708 undergraduates and 2,374 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is less than 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice has been ranked No. 1 for best quality of life multiple times by the Princeton Review and No. 4 for "best value" among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to www.rice.edu/nationalmedia/Rice.pdf.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 31-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Ruth
druth@rice.edu
713-348-6327
Rice University

The convenience of Election Day voting centers can increase voter turnout, according to a new paper by political scientists Robert Stein of Rice University and Greg Vonnahme of the University of Alabama.

"Voting at Non-Precinct Polling Places: A Review and Research Agenda" appears in the latest issue of the Election Law Journal. The paper is an analysis of existing research on voter identification and nonprecinct voting, two subjects that have generated considerable debate in the media and between political parties.

While suggestions of widespread voter fraud and the impact of various voting laws and reforms may be overstated, the positive impact of voting centers is not, said Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice. Of all the election laws, reforms and voting methods, Election Day voting centers are the only system that has had an appreciable effect on voter turnout.

"Over the last 3-5 years, research has revealed that implementation of voting centers has led to up to a 10 percent increase in not only voter turnout, but turnout of people who wouldn't normally vote," Stein said.

Stein compared voting to shopping, saying that most store owners try to make the shopping experience easy for customers. Thanks to their size and accessibility, voting centers have the same positive impact on voting, he said.

"In dozens of states, we've found that if voters have an opportunity to vote at a location that's more central to where they conduct their daily business, they're more likely to vote," Stein said. "Voting is not unlike any other type of retail sale. Customers don't want to spend a lot of extra time looking for a place to shop, a parking space or a manager. The same is true for voters, particularly those who are as undecided about who to vote for as they are to vote."

According to Stein, voting centers work best in low-density urban areas, rather than cities with large walking populations, and are most appealing to voters who are less likely to vote due to hectic schedules.

"It may sound demeaning or undemocratic, but the simple fact of the matter is that for most Americans, voting is not a high-priority activity," he said. "When we have elections, people require convenience."

Stein hopes that the paper will encourage more awareness and research of nonprecinct voting in an effort to help citizens and their representatives make informed and intelligent choices about the mode of election administration they want to adopt.

###

For more information or to arrange an interview with Stein, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at druth@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

Related links:

Video Making voting more convenient: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR8YYpaMeYE

Voting at Non-Precinct Polling Places: A Review and Research Agenda: http://bakerinstitute.org/publications/POL-pub-SteinVonnahmeELJPolling-100311.pdf

Robert Stein bio: http://politicalscience.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=145

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is known for its "unconventional wisdom." With 3,708 undergraduates and 2,374 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is less than 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice has been ranked No. 1 for best quality of life multiple times by the Princeton Review and No. 4 for "best value" among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to www.rice.edu/nationalmedia/Rice.pdf.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/ru-rsc103111.php

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Hindsight Is Kind to Steve Jobs?s Decision to Delay Surgery

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Steve Jobs?s decision to delay an operation to remove a tumor may not have been as ill considered as it seems at first blush.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=a028e8d3836f26b381a26494f350f127

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Snow, wind, rain smacks Northeast; cleanup begins (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? An unseasonably early snowstorm that blanketed parts of states from Maryland to Maine, knocking out power to millions and snarling air and highway travel, was forecast to slowly move north out of New England and officials warned it could be days before many see electricity restored.

The heavy, wet October snow, falling atop leaf-laden trees and driven by frigid, gusting winds, brought down branches and power lines and put the Northeast on notice that winter is around the corner. More than 2.3 million customers from Maryland to New England lost power due to the storm by early Sunday.

Governors declared states of emergency in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of New York, and at least three deaths were blamed on the weather, including an 84-year-old Pennsylvania man killed when a tree fell on his home while he was napping in his recliner.

Some 700,000 lost power in Connecticut, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy cautioned that some homes and business without electricity may be in for a long haul.

"If you are without power, you should expect to be without power for a prolonged period of time," Malloy said Saturday night.

Snow was forecast to stop falling in New England late Sunday as the storm tracks toward Nova Scotia, but not before accumulating up to 2 feet in some areas of Massachusetts. Some inland towns in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York saw more than a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

New York City's Central Park set a record for both the date and the month of October with 1.3 inches of snow.

Communities in western Massachusetts were among the hardest hit. Windsor, Mass., had received 26 inches by early Sunday, and nearby Plainfield saw 24 1/2 inches, and Savoy 24. West Milford, N.J., about 45 miles northwest of New York City, had received 19 inches of snow by early Sunday.

In addition to high number of customers without electricity in Connecticut, there were more than 600,000 in New Jersey ? including Gov. Chris Christie ? and a half-million in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania without power.

PSE&G, New Jersey's largest electric and gas utility, warned customers in a statement on its website to prepare for "potentially lengthy outages" and advised that full restoration of power might not happen until Wednesday.

Officials throughout the region had warned that the early storm would bring sticky snow on the heels of the week's warmer weather and could create dangerous conditions. In addition to declarations in New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 13 counties.

"It's a little startling. I mean, it's only October," said Craig Brodur, who was playing keno with a friend at Northampton Convenience in western Massachusetts.

By early Sunday, the storm had vacated Pennsylvania and New Jersey and was tracking northeast.

The storm was expected to worsen as it swept north. Wind gusts of up to 55 mph were predicted especially along coastal areas.

The heaviest snow in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine was set to fall early Sunday. Parts of southern Vermont could receive more than a foot.

The first measurable snow in New England usually falls in early December, and normal highs for late October are in the mid-50s.

Along the coast and in cities such as Boston, relatively warm water temperatures helped keep snowfall totals much lower. Washington received a trace of snow, tying a record for the date set in 1925.

But not everyone was lamenting the unofficial arrival of winter.

Two Vermont ski resorts, Killington and Mount Snow, started the ski season early by opening one trail each over the weekend, thanks to the recent snow and cold. Maine's Sunday River ski resort also opened for the weekend.

Some said the severity of the storm caught them by surprise.

"This is absolutely a lot more snow than I expected to see today. I can't believe it's not even Halloween and it's snowing already," Carole Shepherd of Washington Township, N.J., said after shoveling her driveway.

The storm disrupted travel along the Eastern Seaboard. Philadelphia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport all had hourslong delays Saturday. Amtrak suspended service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa., and commuter trains in Connecticut and New York were delayed or suspended because of downed trees and signal problems.

Residents were urged to avoid travel altogether. Speed limits were reduced on bridges between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A few roads closed because of accidents and downed trees and power lines, and more were expected, said Sean Brown, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The storm came on a busy weekend for many, with trick-or-treaters going door-to-door in search of Halloween booty, hunting season opening in some states and a full slate of college and pro football scheduled.

In eastern Pennsylvania, snow caused widespread problems, toppling trees and a few power lines, and led to minor traffic accidents, according to dispatchers. In Huffs Church, in Berks County, southwest of Allentown, 16 inches of snow fell.

Philadelphia saw mostly rain, but the snow that did fall coated downtown roofs in white. The last major widespread snowstorm to hit Pennsylvania this early was in 1972, said John LaCorte, a National Weather Service meteorologist in State College.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, an 84-year-old man was killed when a snow-laden tree fell on his home while he was napping in his recliner. In Connecticut, the governor said one person died in a Colchester traffic accident that he blamed on slippery conditions.

In Massachusetts, a 20-year-old man died in Springfield after being electrocuted by a power line downed by high winds and wet, heavy snow. Capt. William Collins says the man stopped when he saw police and firefighters examining downed wires and stepped in the wrong place.

Parts of New York saw a mix of snow, rain and slush that made for sheer misery at the Occupy Wall Street encampment in New York City, where drenched protesters hunkered down in tents and under tarps as the plaza filled with rainwater and melted snow.

Technically, tents are banned in the park, but protesters say authorities have been looking the other way, even despite a crackdown on generators that were keeping them warm.

Nick Lemmin, 25, of Brooklyn, was spending his first night at the encampment. He was one of a handful of protesters still at the park early Sunday.

"I had to come out and support," he said. "The underlying importance of this is such that you have to weather the cold."

Adash Daniel, 24, is a protester who had been at the park for three weeks. He had a sleeping bag and cot that he was going to set up, but changed his mind.

"I'm not much good to this movement if I'm shivering," he said as he left the park.

October snowfall is rare in New York, and Saturday marked just the fourth October day with measurable snowfall in Central Park since record-keeping began 135 years ago, the National Weather Service said.

___

Associated Press writers Ron Todt in Philadelphia; David B. Caruso and Colleen Long in New York; Jay Lindsay in Boston; Eric Tucker in Washington; Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J.; and Clarke Canfield in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111030/ap_on_re_us/us_october_snow

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Chaos, court hearing in Qantas flight suspension (AP)

CANBERRA, Australia ? Tens of thousands of stranded Qantas Airways passengers worldwide scrambled to get to their destinations Sunday after the airline abruptly grounded its global fleet over a dispute with striking workers. Australia's government sought a court order to force the flagship carrier's planes back in the air.

Australian officials expressed frustration over the sudden action by the world's 10th-largest airline and asked an emergency arbitration hearing to order Qantas to fly in Australia's economic interests.

"It's not our place to start allocating responsibility, but what I also know is there is a better way to resolve these matters ... than locking your customers out," Australian Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten told reporters ahead of the arbitration hearing in the southern city of Melbourne. "We want more common sense than that."

About 70,000 passengers fly Qantas each day, and they were stuck in airports around the world trying to make alternate arrangements after Qantas announced Saturday that it had grounded all flights until unions reach an agreement with the company.

Qantas already had reduced and rescheduled flights for weeks after union workers struck and refused to work overtime out of worries that a restructuring plan would move some of Qantas' 35,000 jobs overseas.

German tourist Michael Messmann was trying to find a way home from Singapore on Sunday. He and his wife spent five weeks traveling around Australia but found their connecting flight home to Frankfurt suddenly canceled.

"I don't know the details of the dispute, but it seems like a severe reaction by the airline to shut down all their flights. That seems a bit extreme," said Messmann, 68. "After five weeks of traveling, we just want to go home."

Australian business traveler Graeme Yeatman, however, sided with the airline, even though he was also trying to find a new flight home to Sydney on Sunday after his flight was canceled.

"I think the unions have too much power over Qantas. Even though this is an inconvenience for me, I'm glad the airline is drawing a line in the sand," said Yeatman, 41.

A court heard testimony Sunday in an emergency arbitration hearing called by the government.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the airline could be flying again within hours if the three arbitration judges rule to permanently terminate the grounding and the unions' strike action.

The unions want the judges to rule for a suspension so that the strikes can be resumed if their negotiations with the airline fail.

In testimony to the court Sunday, Qantas executive Lyell Strambi said that suspending the staff lockout for three months could endanger aircraft safety.

He said crews could be distracted or angered by the risk to their future earnings of another lockout, which could cause fatigue and degrade personal performance.

"That could lead to conflicts in the cockpit ? an array of things," Strambi told the tribunal.

"Action is suspended for a period of time, but the threat of action doesn't go away," Strambi said. "The genie is out of the bottle."

Planes in the air continued to their destinations when the grounding was announced, and at least one taxiing flight stopped on the runway, a passenger said. Among the stranded passengers are 17 world leaders attending a Commonwealth summit in the western Australian city of Perth.

When the grounding was announced, 36 international and 28 domestic Australian flights were in the air, the airline said.

Qantas said 108 airplanes were being grounded at 22 airports, but did not say how many flights were involved.

The lockout was expected to have little impact in the United States. Only about 1,000 people fly daily between the U.S. and Australia, said aviation consultant Michael Boyd.

Los Angeles International Airport spokeswoman Diana Sanchez said she was not aware of any passengers stranded at the airport because of the strike.

Five Los Angeles-bound Qantas flights were already in the air when the lockout began and arrived as scheduled, she said, but the airline canceled the rest of the weekend's flights to and from Los Angeles, including six arrivals and six departures on Sunday.

Booked passengers were being rescheduled on a 24-hour basis, with Qantas handling any costs in transferring bookings to other airlines, said Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward.

Bookings already had collapsed after unions warned travelers to fly other airlines through the busy Christmas-New Year period.

Joyce told a news conference in Sydney that the unions' actions had created a crisis for Qantas.

"They are trashing our strategy and our brand," the chief executive said. "They are deliberately destabilizing the company, and there is no end in sight."

Union leaders criticized the action as extreme. Qantas is among the most profitable airlines in the world, but Joyce estimated that the grounding would cost the carrier $20 million a day.

The grounding of the largest of Australia's four national domestic airlines will take a major economic toll and could disrupt the national Parliament, due to resume in Canberra on Tuesday after a two-week recess. Qantas' budget subsidiary Jetstar continues to fly.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said her government would help the Commonwealth leaders fly home after 17 were due to fly out of Perth on Qantas planes over the next couple of days.

"They took it in good spirits when I briefed them about it," Gillard told reporters.

British tourist Chris Crulley, 25, said the pilot on his Qantas flight informed passengers while taxiing down a Sydney runway that he had to return to the terminal "to take an important phone call." The flight was then grounded.

"We're all set for the flight and settled in and the next thing ? I'm stunned. We're getting back off the plane," the firefighter told The Associated Press from Sydney Airport by phone.

Crulley was happy to be heading home to Newcastle after a five-week vacation when his flight was interrupted. "I've got to get back to the other side of the world by Wednesday for work. It's a nightmare," he said.

Qantas offered him up to 350 Australian dollars ($375) a day for food and accommodation, but Crulley expected to struggle to find a hotel at short notice in Sydney on a Saturday night.

Gillard said her center-left government, which is affiliated with the trade union movement, had "taken a rare decision" to seek an end to the strike action out of necessity.

"I believe it is warranted in the circumstances we now face with Qantas ... circumstances with this industrial dispute that could have implications for our national economy," Gillard said.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese described the grounding as "disappointing" and "extraordinary." Albanese was angry that Qantas gave him only three hours' notice.

All 108 aircraft will be grounded until unions representing pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers reach agreements with Qantas over pay and conditions, Joyce said.

"We are locking out until the unions withdraw their extreme claim and reach agreement with us," he said, referring to shutting staff out of their work stations. Staff will not be paid starting Monday.

"This is a crisis for Qantas. If the action continues as the unions have promised, we will have no choice but to close down Qantas part by part," Joyce said.

Richard Woodward, vice president of the pilots' union, accused Qantas of "holding a knife to the nation's throat" and said Joyce had "gone mad."

Steve Purvinas, federal secretary of the mechanics' union, described the grounding as "an extreme measure."

Long-haul budget airline AirAsia tried stepping into the void with what it called "rescue fares" for Qantas passengers. The offer was valid for ticket-holders flying within 48 hours to AirAsia destinations, the airline said.

Malaysia-based AirAsia flies to three Australian destinations, as well as New Zealand.

Qantas infuriated unions in August when it said it would improve its loss-making overseas business by creating an Asia-based airline with its own name and brand. The five-year restructure plan will cost 1,000 jobs.

Qantas also announced in August that it had more than doubled annual profit to AU$250 million, but warned that the business environment was too challenging to forecast earnings for the current fiscal year.

___

Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Katie Oyan in Phoenix and Alex Kennedy in Singapore and AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111030/ap_on_bi_ge/as_australia_qantas

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UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Facebook Prelims

As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. Our live coverage will start with the beginning of the Facebook prelim stream (6:15 p.m. ET), continuing through the Spike TV prelim broadcast (8 p.m. ET) and finally through the pay-per-view broadcast (9 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.

This post will cover live results and thoughts on the Facebook preliminary stream.

On the web stream, Brandon Vera takes on Eliot Marshall in a light heavyweight battle. Ultimate Fighter 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem looks to get his first UFC win as he takes on Danny Downes. Rounding out the fights on the preliminary card Chris Camozzi battles Francis Carmont and Dustin Jacoby fights Clifford Starks.

Our coverage of the?Spike TV fights can be read here?and our?pay-per-view coverage here.

Make sure to come back during the event and share your thoughts as the event goes down.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks - Apologies for the lack of details here. Technical issues with the Facebook feed have all been ironed out. Clifford Starks wins by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont - Round 1 -?Carmont with a nice low kick to start out. Camozzi tries to answer with one of his own. Carmont catches a leg kick and takes him down. Camozzi gets an underhook and uses it to stand up. Camozzi has Carmont pinned against the cage for a while with no real damage being done by either guy. Carmont spins him and lands a solid punch and they're briefly at distance before Camozzi throws a left hand and pushes Carmont right back into the cage. Knee to the body by Carmont and he uses the clinch to move Camozzi around. Carmont almost gets a takedown but settles for a nice knee to the body instead. Camozzi continues to try to work a strategy of pushing Carmont into the cage. Close round but I'd go 10-9 Carmont.

Round 2?-?Carmont starting to use some strange hand movements and both men miss low kicks. Hard right hand lands for Carmont, Camozzi responds by pushing him into the cage. Camozzi really has to do something more than hold Carmont against the cage. Carmont with some nice knees to the body now. Big shot by Carmont backs up Camozzi and Carmont now looks confident as he is stalking. Knees by Carmont now and he pushes Camozzi into the cage. Carmont has his back standing and as Camozzi tries to look for a kimura, Carmont slams him and is now on top on the ground. Carmont landing some big ground and pound. Two big shots by Carmont as Camozzi tries to stand up and Camozzi goes down hard. Camozzi tries to defend and Carmont is pouring it on. Camozzi gets to standing but is bloodied up. Camozzi tries to get a choke at the last moment but the round ends. 10-9 round for Carmont.

Round 3?-?Carmont is opening up with big strikes early and he screams at Camozzi. Camozzi pushes him into the cage again. Carmont with knees to the body. They're at distance and Camozzi blocks a head kick and eats one to the leg. Camozzi pushes him into the cage again but does nothing again. Leg kick by Carmont, one in return by Camozzi. Another leg kick by Camozzi. Left hand by Camozzi and a left in return by Carmont. Takedown by Carmont and he lands a series of hammerfists. Carmont stands over Camozzi now and they exchange kicks to the legs. Camozzi stands up and tries to charge forward, landing a left hand. Body kick by Carmont. Camozzi tries to charge in and Carmont takes him down and lands a left hand. The round ends With Carmont in the mount and Camozzi trying to kimura him. 10-9 Carmont again. I have it 30-27.

Official Scorecards: 30-26, 30-26, 30-27. Francis Carmont wins by unanimous decision.

Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes - Round 1?-?Nijem comes out and throws a few punches and he lands hard and backs Downes into the cage. Nijem with a takedown now and he pushes Nijem into the cage. Downes briefly gives up his back trying to get up but does get to standing. Nijem landing several solid punches and lands a takedown. Nijem landing to the body as Downes was trying to get to his feet. Downes does get up but Nijem takes him right back down. Nijem ends up on Downes' back and looks to lock in a choke. Downes keeps defending and does manage to get to his feet. They're trading strikes before Nijem pushes him into the cage and gets a takedown. Again, Nijem takes the back and looks for the choke. The round ends and I'd say 10-8 Nijem.

Round 2?-?Nijem with a takedown attempt immediately and Downes manages to get a crucifix/reverse triangle attempt briefly but Ramsey gets out of it and gets the takedown. Ramsey eventually uses that to get to mount and now takes the back. Ramsey goes for the choke again and again Downes survives. Back to mount and Downes rolls and tries to stand. Nijem takes him right back down and this is just a nightmare for Downes. Again Nijem was going for the rear naked choke, Downes escapes and the round ends. 10-8 Nijem again.

Round 3?-?Nijem comes out and opens up landing several punches in a row. Downes is trying to find something on the feet but just gets taken right back down. Nijem landing some big elbows now and continues to advance position and dominate the fight. Nijem ends up with back control and locks in the body triangle. He elbows away and Downes just has nothing for him here but is trying to survive to the final bell. Nijem pounds away until the final bell. We'll go 10-9 that round. Dominant performance by Nijem.

Official Scorecards: 30-25, 30-26, 30-27 all for Ramsey Nijem who wins by unanimous decision.

Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall - Round 1 -?Vera looking to land kicks and he finally lands to the legs. Nice right hand followed by a leg kick by Vera. Vera lading punches and knees against the cage and now has Marshall locked against the cage. A little clinch fighting and Marshall lets Vera get space again. Marshall landing a series of strikes, now several short hard right hands and Vera looks a little rattled and has to push Marshall into the cage. They're separated after a lack of action with about a minute left. Hard leg kick by Vera. 10-9 round for Vera but he was in a little more trouble than expected.

Round 2?-?Marshall trying to pressure more this round. Marshall catches a kick and tries for a takedown but Vera defends well. Vera turns and pushes him into the cage, and this is just not the "comeback" performance Vera needed so far. Vera with a takedown now. Elbow by Vera. Marshall gets back to his feet using the cage but eats a knee for his trouble. Vera keeping him pushed into the cage here and just grinding out the round. Restart with about 15 seconds left and Marshall misses a left hook. 10-9 Vera.

Round 3?-?Vera coming out throwing straight kicks to the knee. Marshall is throwing occasional punches. Big right hand drops Vera! Marshall following up. Vera is hurt badly and Marshall is letting him off the hook by not following up. Left hand by Marshall lands and Vera clinches him and pushes him into the cage. Vera has no interest in letting Marshall off the cage but Marshall does manage to spin out. Marshall with a takedown and he has the back. Marshall looking to lock in the choke. Marshall landing punches to the head and body now. Marshall switches to an armbar. Vera survives and throws a few elbows as the round ends. 10-8 round for Marshall in my eyes for multiple times being very close to finishing the fight on the feet and floor makes this fight a draw 28-28 on my card.

Official Scorecards: 29-28 across the board for Brandon Vera.

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/10/29/2523069/ufc-137-penn-vs-diaz-live-results-facebook

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Novel strategy stymies SARS et al.

Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
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Contact: Dr. Kathrin Bilgeri
kathrin.bilgeri@lmu.de
49-218-06938
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen

Versatile inhibitor prevents viral replication

Broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are active against a whole range of bacterial pathogens, have been on the market for a long time. Comparably versatile drugs to treat viral diseases, on the other hand, have remained elusive. Using a new approach, research teams led by Dr. Albrecht von Brunn of LMU Munich and Professor Christian Drosten from the University of Bonn have identified a compound that inhibits the replication of several different viruses, including the highly aggressive SARS virus that is responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The new method exploits the fact that interactions between certain host proteins and specific viral proteins are essential for viral replication. One of these host proteins is part of a signaling relay in the cell. The broad-spectrum antiviral compound used by the researchers blocks this signal pathway without having a deleterious effect on the host. "We have shown in this study that a broadly based search for new cellular targets can uncover new functional principles that have a demonstrable impact on virus replication," says von Brunn. "We have confirmed that the approach works in cell culture. We now hope that these laboratory results can be translated into clinically effective therapies. At the very least, our high-throughput procedure can be utilized to systematically screen various protein-virus interactions as potential targets for inhibitory compounds." The new study was carried out under the auspices of the SARS Research Network, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). (PloS Pathogens, 27. October 2011)

Broad-spectrum antibiotics that inhibit the growth of various species of bacterial pathogens are well known. Virologists, unfortunately, have no comparably versatile weapons in their armory. Individual drugs that are active against different types of viral pathogens are simply not available. "All of the antiviral agents we have are directed specifically at the virus itself," explains Professor Christian Drosten, Director of the Institute of Virology at Bonn University Hospital. "And since viral pathogens are highly diverse, each of these agents can attack only certain viruses." Moreover, viruses are also highly mutable, making the weaponry they can deploy against us even more powerful. What works against one viral strain may be essentially useless against another.

The SARS virus, a previously unknown pathogen which threatened to cause a worldwide pandemic in 2003, has spurred on the search for new antiviral substances. Only recently, it was shown that not only Chinese, but also European, bats carry the SARS virus. "But in contrast to the situation with bird influenza, one cannot simply kill these free-living animals in order to eradicate the pathogen," says Drosten. "That would have catastrophic ecological consequences and, apart from that, bats are retiring and secretive in their habits." If one wishes to develop drugs against viruses that can "hide" in animal species, one must explore other alternatives.

The research teams assembled by von Brunn and Drosten have now discovered a way to prevent the replication of a whole family of viruses by depriving them of an essential host factor. They first identified host proteins with which SARS viral proteins interact. This strategy led to the finding that a cellular signaling pathway is essential for the replication not only of the SARS virus, but also of a whole set of related viruses that are pathogenic to humans and animals.

"This signal pathway is normally involved in regulating the immune system," says Drosten. "We used a substance that inhibits the function of one of the proteins in the pathway, and found that it suppresses viral replication." In other words, drugs that block this pathway inhibit the replication of many different viruses, and therefore act as broad-spectrum antivirals. This opens a route to the treatment of conditions caused by the SARS virus, but also a whole variety of human coronaviruses, and pathogens that infect the internal organs of chickens, pigs and cats. Inhibition of this pathway does not damage the host, because parallel pathways can compensate for its normal role in the cell.

The successful inhibition of virus replication was not a result of serendipity. The researchers in Munich have developed a technique that allows them to systematically probe different proteins for the ability to interact with defined targets. "In order to replicate in the body of its host, a virus must first gain entry to a suitable cell type by binding to a specific receptor protein on its surface," says von Brunn, who works in the Max von Pettenkofer Institute at LMU Munich. "We have used an automated, high-throughput process to systematically test various protein-virus combinations as potential targets for possible inhibitors. The success of this strategy proves that a broadly based search for cellular targets can uncover new functional principles that have a demonstrable impact on virus replication," says von Brunn.

The investigators have shown in cell cultures that their approach actually works. "However, it will be years before we know whether or not these results can be translated into effective treatments," Drosten says. The study also underlines the importance of research collaborations. Drosten is convinced that "neither group could have done this on its own". The SARS Research Network, which is coordinated by Drosten, brings together virological expertise from six university institutes, two veterinary and four medical, located in Hannover, Gieen, Marburg, Bonn, Munich and St. Gallen (Switzerland). (University of Bonn)

###

Publication:

The SARS-Coronavirus-Host Interactome: Identification of Cyclophilins as Target for Pan-Coronavirus Inhibitors
Susanne Pfefferle, Julia Schpf, Manfred Kgl, Caroline C. Friedel, Marcel A. Mller, Javier Carbajo-Lozoya, Thorsten Stellberger, Ekatarina von Dall'Armi, Petra Herzog, Stefan Kallies, Daniela Niemeyer, Vanessa Ditt, Thomas Kuri, Roland Zst, Ksenia Pumpor, Rolf Hilgenfeld, Frank Schwarz, Ralf Zimmer, Imke Steffen, Friedemann Weber, Volker Thiel, Georg Herrler, Heinz-Jrgen Thiel, Christel Schwegmann-Weels, Stefan Phlmann, Jrgen Haas, Christian Drosten, Albrecht von Brunn
PLoS Pathogens, 27. Oktober 2011
doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002331

Contact:
Dr. Albrecht von Brunn
Max von Pettenkofer Institute, LMU Mnchen
Phone: 49-89-5160-5439
Email: vonbrunn@mvp.uni-muenchen.de

Professor Christian Drosten
Direktor des Instituts fr Virologie des Universittsklinikums Bonn
Phone: 49-228-2871-1055
Email: drosten@virology-bonn.de

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Kathrin Bilgeri
kathrin.bilgeri@lmu.de
49-218-06938
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen

Versatile inhibitor prevents viral replication

Broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are active against a whole range of bacterial pathogens, have been on the market for a long time. Comparably versatile drugs to treat viral diseases, on the other hand, have remained elusive. Using a new approach, research teams led by Dr. Albrecht von Brunn of LMU Munich and Professor Christian Drosten from the University of Bonn have identified a compound that inhibits the replication of several different viruses, including the highly aggressive SARS virus that is responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The new method exploits the fact that interactions between certain host proteins and specific viral proteins are essential for viral replication. One of these host proteins is part of a signaling relay in the cell. The broad-spectrum antiviral compound used by the researchers blocks this signal pathway without having a deleterious effect on the host. "We have shown in this study that a broadly based search for new cellular targets can uncover new functional principles that have a demonstrable impact on virus replication," says von Brunn. "We have confirmed that the approach works in cell culture. We now hope that these laboratory results can be translated into clinically effective therapies. At the very least, our high-throughput procedure can be utilized to systematically screen various protein-virus interactions as potential targets for inhibitory compounds." The new study was carried out under the auspices of the SARS Research Network, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). (PloS Pathogens, 27. October 2011)

Broad-spectrum antibiotics that inhibit the growth of various species of bacterial pathogens are well known. Virologists, unfortunately, have no comparably versatile weapons in their armory. Individual drugs that are active against different types of viral pathogens are simply not available. "All of the antiviral agents we have are directed specifically at the virus itself," explains Professor Christian Drosten, Director of the Institute of Virology at Bonn University Hospital. "And since viral pathogens are highly diverse, each of these agents can attack only certain viruses." Moreover, viruses are also highly mutable, making the weaponry they can deploy against us even more powerful. What works against one viral strain may be essentially useless against another.

The SARS virus, a previously unknown pathogen which threatened to cause a worldwide pandemic in 2003, has spurred on the search for new antiviral substances. Only recently, it was shown that not only Chinese, but also European, bats carry the SARS virus. "But in contrast to the situation with bird influenza, one cannot simply kill these free-living animals in order to eradicate the pathogen," says Drosten. "That would have catastrophic ecological consequences and, apart from that, bats are retiring and secretive in their habits." If one wishes to develop drugs against viruses that can "hide" in animal species, one must explore other alternatives.

The research teams assembled by von Brunn and Drosten have now discovered a way to prevent the replication of a whole family of viruses by depriving them of an essential host factor. They first identified host proteins with which SARS viral proteins interact. This strategy led to the finding that a cellular signaling pathway is essential for the replication not only of the SARS virus, but also of a whole set of related viruses that are pathogenic to humans and animals.

"This signal pathway is normally involved in regulating the immune system," says Drosten. "We used a substance that inhibits the function of one of the proteins in the pathway, and found that it suppresses viral replication." In other words, drugs that block this pathway inhibit the replication of many different viruses, and therefore act as broad-spectrum antivirals. This opens a route to the treatment of conditions caused by the SARS virus, but also a whole variety of human coronaviruses, and pathogens that infect the internal organs of chickens, pigs and cats. Inhibition of this pathway does not damage the host, because parallel pathways can compensate for its normal role in the cell.

The successful inhibition of virus replication was not a result of serendipity. The researchers in Munich have developed a technique that allows them to systematically probe different proteins for the ability to interact with defined targets. "In order to replicate in the body of its host, a virus must first gain entry to a suitable cell type by binding to a specific receptor protein on its surface," says von Brunn, who works in the Max von Pettenkofer Institute at LMU Munich. "We have used an automated, high-throughput process to systematically test various protein-virus combinations as potential targets for possible inhibitors. The success of this strategy proves that a broadly based search for cellular targets can uncover new functional principles that have a demonstrable impact on virus replication," says von Brunn.

The investigators have shown in cell cultures that their approach actually works. "However, it will be years before we know whether or not these results can be translated into effective treatments," Drosten says. The study also underlines the importance of research collaborations. Drosten is convinced that "neither group could have done this on its own". The SARS Research Network, which is coordinated by Drosten, brings together virological expertise from six university institutes, two veterinary and four medical, located in Hannover, Gieen, Marburg, Bonn, Munich and St. Gallen (Switzerland). (University of Bonn)

###

Publication:

The SARS-Coronavirus-Host Interactome: Identification of Cyclophilins as Target for Pan-Coronavirus Inhibitors
Susanne Pfefferle, Julia Schpf, Manfred Kgl, Caroline C. Friedel, Marcel A. Mller, Javier Carbajo-Lozoya, Thorsten Stellberger, Ekatarina von Dall'Armi, Petra Herzog, Stefan Kallies, Daniela Niemeyer, Vanessa Ditt, Thomas Kuri, Roland Zst, Ksenia Pumpor, Rolf Hilgenfeld, Frank Schwarz, Ralf Zimmer, Imke Steffen, Friedemann Weber, Volker Thiel, Georg Herrler, Heinz-Jrgen Thiel, Christel Schwegmann-Weels, Stefan Phlmann, Jrgen Haas, Christian Drosten, Albrecht von Brunn
PLoS Pathogens, 27. Oktober 2011
doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002331

Contact:
Dr. Albrecht von Brunn
Max von Pettenkofer Institute, LMU Mnchen
Phone: 49-89-5160-5439
Email: vonbrunn@mvp.uni-muenchen.de

Professor Christian Drosten
Direktor des Instituts fr Virologie des Universittsklinikums Bonn
Phone: 49-228-2871-1055
Email: drosten@virology-bonn.de

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/lm-nss102811.php

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New suspect questioned over Hungary match-fixing

Associated Press Sports

updated 12:44 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2011

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -Hungarian prosecutors said they questioned a new suspect in an international match-fixing investigation on Wednesday.

A former second-division player identified as Gyorgy Sz. is believed to have given three players from Diosgyor FC ?3,000 ($4,250) each to influence the outcome of a May 2010 match against Nyiregyhaza in Hungary's top league, the Chief Investigative Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The suspect was said to be following the orders of, among others, former player Zoltan Kenesei, the alleged leader of the Hungarian branch of a global match-fixing "syndicate."

The players allegedly returned the bribes because the betting ring never placed bets on the match.

In June, three former players and four referees were detained as a result of the investigation launched by prosecutors and the National Investigation Office. Five suspects remain under preliminary arrest.

Authorities so far have identified seven matches, including two from the top Finnish league, which may have been fixed.

The syndicate is suspected of paying referees and players between ?40,000 ($56,800) and ?85,000 ($120,800) per match to influence results and is believed to have collected up to ?600,000 ($852,700) a game in successful bets.

Spokesman Geza Fazekas said the probe is continuing "full speed ahead."

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

No saint, but no racist

Cesc Fabregas says he is no saint but he did not direct any racist abuse toward Frederic Kanoute.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45062795/ns/sports-soccer/

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Anne Hathaway Becomes A Producer For The First Time In 'Puzzler'

Anne Hathaway is trying out a new job in the film industry: producing.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hathaway is set to both star in and produce the thriller "Puzzler" at Paramount. It is being described as similar to "Three Days of the Condor," the Robert Redford film that followed a CIA researcher who finds all [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/10/27/anne-hathaway-puzzler/

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Defense witness: Michael Jackson caused own death

Dr. Paul White, an anesthesiologist and Propofol expert, holds a bottle of Propofol during Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Paul White, an anesthesiologist and Propofol expert, holds a bottle of Propofol during Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Conrad Murray listens as defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan (not pictured) questions witness Dr. Paul White, during Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Conrad Murray listens as defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan (not pictured) questions witness Dr. Paul White, during Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Paul White, an anesthesiologist and Propofol expert, holds up an IV drip during Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Paul White, right, an anesthesiologist and Propofol expert, demonstrates an IV drip with the assistance of defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan during Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Attorneys for Michael Jackson's doctor dropped the bombshell Friday they've been hinting at for months ? an expert opinion accusing the legendary singer of causing his own death.

Dr. Paul White, the defense team's star scientific witness, said Jackson injected himself with a dose of propofol after an initial dose by Dr. Conrad Murray wore off. He also calculated that Jackson gave himself another sedative, lorazepam, by taking pills after an infusion of that drug and others by Murray failed to put him to sleep.

That combination of drugs could have had "lethal consequences," the researcher said.

White showed jurors a series of charts and simulations he created in the past two days to support the defense theory. He also did a courtroom demonstration of how the milky white anesthetic propofol could have entered Jackson's veins in the small dose that Murray claimed he gave the insomniac star.

White said he accepted Murray's statement to police that he administered only 25 milligrams of propofol after a night-long struggle to get Jackson to sleep with infusions of other sedatives.

"How long would that (propofol) have had an effect on Mr. Jackson?" asked defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan.

"If you're talking effect on the central nervous system, 10 to 15 minutes max," White said.

He then said Jackson could have injected himself with another 25 milligrams during the time Murray has said he left the singer's room.

"So you think it was self-injected propofol between 11:30 and 12?" asked Flanagan.

"In my opinion, yes," White said.

The witness, one of the early researchers of the anesthetic, contradicted testimony by Dr. Steven Shafer, his longtime colleague and collaborator. Shafer earlier testified Jackson would have been groggy from all the medications he was administered during the night and could not have given himself the drug in the two minutes Murray said he was gone.

"He can't give himself an injection if he's asleep," Shafer told jurors last week. He called the defense theory of self-administration "crazy."

White's testimony belied no animosity between the two experts, who have worked together for 30 years. Although White was called out by the judge one day for making derogatory comments to a TV reporter about the prosecution case, White was respectful and soft spoken on the witness stand.

When Flanagan made a mistake and called him "Dr. Shafer" a few times, White said, "I'm honored."

The prosecution asked for more time to study the computer program White used before cross-examining him. Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor granted the request, saying he too was baffled by the complicated simulations of Jackson's fatal dose. He recessed court early and gave prosecutors the weekend to catch up before questioning White on Monday.

The surprise disclosure of White's new theory caused a disruption of the court schedule, and the judge had worried aloud that jurors, who expected the trial to be over this week, were being inconvenienced. But the seven men and five women appeared engaged in the testimony and offered no complaints when the judge apologized for the delay.

Prosecutors could call Shafer back during their rebuttal case to answer White's assertions.

Among the key issues is how White calculated that a large residue of propofol in Jackson's body could have come from the small dose that Murray says he administered. Shafer assumed Murray had lied, and he estimated Jackson actually was given 1,000 milligrams of the drug by Murray, who he said left the bottle running into an IV tube under the pull of gravity. White disputed that, saying an extra 25 milligrams self-administered by Jackson would be enough to reach the levels found in his blood and urine.

White also said a minuscule residue of the sedative lorazepam in Jackson's stomach convinced him the singer took some pills from a prescription bottle found in his room. He suggested the combination of lorazepam, another sedative, midazolam, plus the propofol could have killed Jackson.

"It potentially could have lethal consequences," said White. "... I think the combination effect would be very, very profound."

White's testimony was expected to end Murray's defense case after 16 witnesses. It likely will be vigorously challenged by prosecutors, who spent four weeks laying out their case that Murray is a greedy, inept and reckless doctor who was giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid in the singer's bedroom. Experts including Shafer have said propofol is not intended to treat insomnia and should not be given in a home.

White's theory was based on urine and blood levels in Jackson's autopsy, evidence found in Jackson's bedroom and Murray's long interview with police detectives two days after Jackson died while in his care.

While accepting Murray's account of drugs he gave Jackson, the expert's calculations hinged on the invisible quotient: Jackson's possible movements while his doctor was out of the room. With no witnesses and contradictory physical evidence, that has become the key question hanging over the case.

Those who knew the entertainer in his final days offered a portrait of a man gripped by fear that he would not live up to big plans for his comeback concert and worried about his ability to perform if he didn't get sleep. He was plagued by insomnia, and other medical professionals told of his quest for the one drug he believed could help him. He called it his "milk," and it was propofol.

Jurors have now seen it up close as both Shafer and White demonstrated its potential use as an IV infusion.

With White's testimony, the defense sought to answer strong scientific evidence by the prosecution. But they did not address other questions such as allegations that Murray was negligent and acting below the standard of care for a physician.

Flanagan, the defense attorney, produced a certificate from Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas showing Murray was certified to administer moderate anesthesia, referred to as "conscious sedation." However, the document showed several requirements including that the physician "monitor the patient carefully" and "provide adequate oxygenation and ventilation for a patient that stops breathing."

Medical witnesses noted that Murray left his patient alone under anesthesia and did not have adequate equipment to revive him when he found him not breathing.

The coroner attributed Jackson's June 25, 2009, death to "acute propofol intoxication" complicated by other sedatives.

Murray, who had been hired as the singer's personal physician for his "This Is It" tour, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-28-Michael%20Jackson-Doctor/id-57a53085dcc94c67a39b315e0823432b

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Redbox's $1 per night DVD rentals jump to $1.20 October 31st, Blu-ray and games stay the same

While its movie rental rivals Netflix and Blockbuster have struggled for varying reasons recently, it seemed like Redbox could be just the ticket for thrifty renters. That may be tougher now that it has announced Monday we'll see a slight increase in pricing for DVD rentals, from $1 to $1.20, citing increased debit card fees. So far, nightly pricing for Blu-ray discs ($1.50) and videogames ($2) is staying the same, but with studios already pushing for longer rental delays, there's fewer safe ports or those pursuing cheap, current movies. On the conference call, executives floated the idea of using the first sale doctrine to buy and rent retail discs if necessary. Overall, as seen above Redbox's share of the disc rental market rose last quarter, while there's still no word on plans to jump into online streaming.

Check below for parent company Coinstar's full Q3 earnings report plus a FAQ that helpfully points out this is Redbox's first increase in eight years and that discs reserved online will still be just $1 for the first night through November. The actual email customers are receiving is included after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Redbox's $1 per night DVD rentals jump to $1.20 October 31st, Blu-ray and games stay the same

Redbox's $1 per night DVD rentals jump to $1.20 October 31st, Blu-ray and games stay the same originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Redbox FAQ, Coinstar Q3 earnings  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/27/redboxs-1-per-night-dvd-rentals-jump-to-1-20-october-1st-blu/

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Anime Manison (ROLE PLAYERS WANTED)

have you ever wondered what would it be like if your favorite anime characters lived together well this is what this rp is about hee all your favorite anime characters from shows and manga are here.You are wondering what will they do well just like all roommates they have drama,romance,enemys,etc.Please please please join !

RULES:
.post at least once a day or twice or dont joing at all
.cussing is ok but not OCC
.OCC conversations are exceptable as long as you put OCC:
.romance is ok its up to the other person to be with your character an dont take it under the sheets
at least not on here >.<
. have as many characters as you want the more the better
.any anime show or manga is ok if its not from an anime show or manga
it will be fine but has to be anime
.have fun

character sig-up sheet:

name :
age : (16-20)
gender :
crush :
girfriend/boyfriend :
married:
kids:
bio:
apperence :(anime duh)
any other forms are ok like wolf
shinigamis ,animals etc.

my characters:

name : zero kiryu
age :18
gender :male
crush : i dont have time for girls
girfriend/boyfriend :none
married:no
kids :annoying beast no thanks
bio: talk to me maybe ill tell you
apperence :

name : hatsune miku
age : 16
gender :female
crush :so far no one
girfriend/boyfriend :no
married:no
kids: maybe latter
bio: its personal honestly
apperence :

name : derrek
age : 17
gender :male
crush :hatsune no strong but some
girfriend/boyfriend :no
married:no
kids: HELL NO !
bio: use to be a demon slayer but those days are over for me i always hated it
but i had to be one like my father grew up in japan moved from there to arizona U.S never looked back to japan
apperence :

name : misa amane
age : 17
gender :female
crush :no
girfriend/boyfriend :no
married:no
kids:no
bio: im the second kira (shhhh)i moved pass ever since light yagami was killed i gave up on my kira life and came here but i still have
control of the death note
apperence :

name : ichigo kurosaki
age : 18
gender :male
crush : no
girfriend/boyfriend : no
married:no
kids:no
bio: why do you care
apperence :

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/1h8BSw9Fnyg/viewtopic.php

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T-Mobile Amaze 4G review

A great phone, for sure -- but is it amazing?

A couple weeks into using the HTC Amaze 4G on T-Mobile, we've pretty much decided the most amazing thing about the device isn't the hardware, which of course is stellar. It's not the software, which is a further iteration of HTC Sense. These things are givens, right?

No, instead the most amazing thing about the HTC Amaze 4G is the fact that we're seeing it on T-Mobile at all, just a few months after its older brother, the HTC Sensation 4G, was released.

So what's different? What's new? is it truly amazing? Yes. And no.

 

---

Powerful hardware, and HTC Sense is as good as ever. The camera quality is much-improved, and the hardware shutter buttons and quick access to the camera app are must-haves.	Could be too large for some people. The larger plastic battery cover is pretty slick in the hand. Earpiece is a lint trap. The camera app, while better, still have room for improvement.
Easily the best HTC Android smartphone on T-Mobile, with its current hardware and software. The camera is as good as any HTC has done of late. Makes us wonder, however, why T-Mobile's carrying the Amaze 4G as well as the only slightly older HTC Sensation.

Inside this review	More info
Video walkthrough Hardware review Software review Camera tests	Amaze 4G specs How to root Amaze 4G forums

 

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/mOPVa1UHUvY/t-mobile-amaze-4g-review

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IMF: Mideast oil importers face economic slowdown (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates ? Middle Eastern countries without significant oil resources face a sharp slowdown in economic growth as the effects of the Arab Spring reverberate across the region, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

In a twice-yearly report, the IMF cut its economic growth forecast for the Mideast's oil importing countries ? including Egypt and Tunisia ? to just 1.9 percent this year. That is down from an earlier IMF forecast of 2.3 percent and well below the more than 4 percent growth in 2010.

The Washington-based fund predicts their growth in 2012 will also be weaker than anticipated, coming in at around 3 percent.

"Since the beginning of this year, a deterioration in the international economic outlook and the buildup of domestic social pressures have resulted in an economic slowdown in many of the region's oil-importing countries," said Masood Ahmed, the director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia department.

Among the Mideast's oil importers are Tunisia and Egypt, whose longtime leaders were overthrown in revolutions earlier this year. The unrest hurt their economies by causing a drop in tourism and other trade.

Oil exporting countries ? a diverse group that includes wealthy OPEC nations such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as well as much poorer states like Yemen ? will fare far better thanks to a boom in oil prices and output.

The IMF left its growth target of 4.9 percent for those countries unchanged. That is ahead of its outlook of 4 percent for the world economy as a whole.

For next year, the same group can expect 3.9 percent growth, the IMF forecast.

Libya was left out of the IMF's overall forecasts because of uncertainty caused by months of civil war there. The fighting has clearly taken a toll on the North African country's economy, however.

The IMF estimated that Libya's overall economy is likely to shrink by more than half this year because of the near-shutdown in oil production, which accounted for more than 70 percent of the economy before the war.

The fund praised the decision by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors to temporarily boost oil output to make up for supplies that dried up when Libya descended into civil war earlier this year. Ahmed called the increased output "an essential contribution toward global energy market stability."

Many oil-exporting countries, particularly the Gulf monarchies, have boosted spending on public-sector salaries, government subsidies and other perks in response to this year's uprisings.

While they have plenty of cash to cover those handouts for now, the increased costs are pushing some of their budgets ? which now mostly run at a surplus ? closer to the break-even point. That makes them more vulnerable to swings in oil prices at a time when the global economy looks increasingly shaky, the IMF cautioned.

For the region as a whole, the IMF forecast economic growth of 3.9 percent this year and 3.7 percent in 2012.

The IMF report includes oil exporters Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the UAE and Yemen, and oil importers Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria and Tunisia.

___

Online: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2011/mcd/eng/pdf/mreo1011.pdf

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_bi_ge/ml_mideast_economy

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