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In most years, the question is reserved for the sports page on a slow news day, but every four years the inquiry is made repeatedly and breathlessly:
Will soccer ever catch on in the United States as it has around the rest of the world?
Television broadcasts of the recently concluded FIFA World Cup from Brazil scored its largest American audience ever, and news outlets large and small caught the football fever.
The nation's newspapers were riddled with features on adoring fans and their willingness to get up at any hour, go to their local tavern, drink steins of beer and watch their favorite team in action. After reading several of the stories, I suspected many of those fans adored their beer drinking almost as much as their favorite team.
Unlike past World Cups, this time it didn't seem to matter a great deal that the U.S. team was driven from the pitch long before the finals.
With all that said, I'd argue that the media interest and the high TV ratings numbers aren't the clearest signs that soccer is gaining in popularity in the United States.
The legal and illegal wagering on the games is.
Increased betting in Las Vegas sports books is a better indicator than any fan survey about the growth of the love of the sport. It's one thing to take little Tommy and Mandy to soccer practice; it's quite another to invest a C-note on a parlay pitting teams from countries you need 45 minutes to find on a map.
A soccer parlay? Amazing.
Something tells me Vinny Magliulo can hardly believe it himself. Now the vice president of Las Vegas Dissemination Co., the former sports book director at Caesars Palace and The Mirage and with gaming legend Michael Gaughan. Like most bookmakers, he was raised on the gambling staples of college and pro football and basketball. In summer, the grinders and hunch players worked the baseball box scores. Later in the year, three guys from Canada bet hockey.
But soccer?
Not in a million years — until recently, that is.
ESPN's televised coverage and the fact the games were live and most were on at a decent hour really helped. But you only had to walk through a local sports book to see the increased interest in the World Cup.
"Television coverage and betting go hand in hand," he says. "I have to commend the folks at ESPN. They showed every game, and they showed them in a time frame that was conducive to people watching. … The games were spaced in such a way where people had time to view them and bet them."
As interest has increased, so have the options available at most sports books. Propositions and game-in-progress betting, for instance. And, of course, those ubiquitous parlays.
Although he tracks the growth in betting on the games back to 1994, 2014 saw a substantial bump.
"All indications are this was definitely the highest-handled World Cup that we've ever seen here," Magliulo says.
Of course, there's another sign that could be further proof interest in soccer is rising: allegations that surfaced this week accusing eight people of operating a multimillion-dollar sports betting business out of Caesars Palace that specialized in — you guessed it — taking big international action on the World Cup. The FBI is working with the U.S. Attorney's office on the case, which allegedly involves at least one character connected to a Chinese Triad family.
On the legitimate side, savvy bet shoppers found value in varying prices at different sports books, and Magliulo says the industry expects to handle increasing numbers on games involving the top European leagues and Major League Soccer in the United States. It's not just a fad anymore.
It won't rival the feverish pace of the World Cup, and it won't knock out the NFL any time soon, but the longtime sportsman says it puts a little more steam in a slow time of year.
"I think soccer has a great footing, and I think we'll see it expand," Magliulo says. "It's in the summertime, where we needed another opportunity to wager besides horse racing and baseball."
John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 702-383-0295. Follow him on Twitter @jlnevadasmith.


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Pros: Well-written articles, celebrity interviews/photographs, attractive covers, entertaining relationship columns, black history/culture, style/fashion, social issues, inexpensive
Cons: Too many cigarette and liquor ads, needs more in-depth departments and more sophisticated content
Over a year ago, Ebony magazine began arriving as a complementary subscription for our waiting room. After a couple of months I became curious about its contents. Since I'm not a Black American, I previously hadn't paid much attention to Ebony. Here are my impressions of Ebony magazine after reading all the many back issues I had.
Ebony is geared toward the culture and interests of Black Americans. Ebony is published by Blacks for Blacks. The magazine incorporates Black World Magazine. The topics in the magazine are quite varied: advice, beauty, culture, education, entertainment, family, fashion, finance, sports, health/fitness, recipes and social issues. The magazine also highlights the most successful Black Americans in the fields of music, politics, sports, entertainment and business among others. There are frequent inspiring articles about Black leadership and achievement. In honor of Black History Month, I have chosen the February issue to highlight - the Annual Black Love/Black History issue. The issue celebrates both Valentine's Day & Black History Month. Other months also are special issues devoted to certain topics. October, for example, is the annual issue highlighting women's health.
Each month, covers of Ebony feature successful Blacks. Popular celebrities are an important part of Ebony and celebrities usually appear on covers. The covers are always vibrant and captivating. They entice readers to purchase issues. In February, four of the "Ten Hottest Couples" are pictured in tender poses. The couples are all popular personalities. The inside 6-pages story includes an additional photo of each couple and a long interesting paragraph explaining how they met, proposed and how long they have been together. This is a perfect Valentine's Day piece for a February issue. January's cover features musician and superstar Lenny Kravitz. Inside we learn all about his music, his life and his daughter. Several additional cover articles are listed on every cover to draw readers' attention and interest. The December issue's cover is on Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds and his family. The beautiful four-page article contains 6 additional touching photos of the Edmonds family.
The covers are very successful. The magazine has a nice layout. Articles, even large special sections, are usually completed on succeeding pages. Readers do not have to thumb through pages to complete articles. I wish the Table of Contents were on facing pages for easier scrutiny.
Ebony has 14+ departments. Interestingly, there are no letters from the editor. Two popular departments are Sisterspeak and For Brothers Only. Both are interesting and entertaining editorial columns. Sisterspeak written by Laura Randolf Lancaster usually offers Valentine?s Day gift selection advice to Brothers in February issues. This month however, the columnist tells Sisters "10 Things Men Wish Women Knew." Men don't really care about store bought gifts. They want something more personal. Number 2 is pretty cute. It says, "Sunday equals sports. Not one game. Not two games. All the games." Number 8 says, "A TV screen can never be too big. It's the room that is too small." While the column is really cute there is nothing new here for women. Every woman I know knows exactly what men want. Men are very transparent. Sorry guys! In last month's issue, she talks about the importance of being thankful for the good things in our lives. In December she covered "25 Ways We're Different This Christmas." Women will enjoy this entertaining column.
For Brothers Only department has its heart in all the right places. It always urges Brothers to respect love and give of themselves wholeheartedly in their relationships with women. How can you knock great advice like that? I can't, but, I think the columns are too schmaltzy. As a woman, though, I still enjoy them. This month Brothers are told to value their women as if they were precious jewelry. The article is "From Glassman to Diamond Keeper" by Kevin Chappell. Last month there was a better column written by the managing editor Walter Leavy also on being more sensitive and tender with the woman in your life. These are good strong message to send men. I wonder how many men read them, though? December has a good editorial on "What I Really Want For Christmas" by Chappell - an orderly life. The Ebony Advisor is a one-page advice column on love and relationships. It is a popular Q & A type column that appears regularly but is not in the February issue. Recent Qs & As have been on religious differences, marital intimacy and infidelity.
The Letters to the Editor department usually contains around 10 interesting letters from readers. Most of them comment on articles in previous issues and a few even criticize the magazine. The February's issues publishes three letters concerning the earlier feature, "56 Intriguing Blacks of 2001." One letter questions if several powerful and successful Blacks were omitted from the list simply because of politics - good question! Another reader names some of her nominees that were left out.
Date with a Dish is a food department. What concerns me is that the recipes are not lite or nutrition conscious. The directions are simple and easy to follow. The dishes are uncomplicated and usually fast to prepare. This month the recipes are "Comfort Food for Body & Soul." Perhaps the selection of comfort foods is a search for solace in reaction to the 9/11 attacks. Here are all your favorites from childhood: meat loaf and mashed potatoes, barbecued chicken wings, hamburgers & French fries, baked macaroni & cheese, caramel fudge cake and beef stew. Serving sizes (usually 6-8) and nutritional information are included. The meat loaf has 422+ calories and 927 MG of Sodium. The Caramel fudge Cake has a whopping 2,191 calories, 82.5 G Total Fat and 3,962 MG. of Sodium. January's issue covered some interesting Caribbean recipes. The recipe for Jamaican Jerk Chicken can be found on the Website if you are interested. The December issue has 12 delicious recipes for Kwanzaa. Following the Kwanzaa recipes there is also a five-page article complete with photographs on 6 Black celebrities and their favorite holiday recipes. Nutritional information is not listed for these recipes.
Fashion Flair department has hot fashion wear for women but readers have to be very slim and young to carry them off well. These outfits will certainly make you stand out in a crowd! Talented Black designers create the form fitting bold outfits. A couple of them are extremely short. No prices are listed but they look very expensive. I wonder why prices aren't listed? The models are beautiful. The December issue's article, "The Changing Trends of Fashion" has more far-out fashions for those daring and sophisticated to wear them.
Men get their own fashion section under Men's Fashion. "What the Sharpest Dressers are Wearing" is this month's article. The men's fashions are, for the most part, more conservative than the fashions for women except one outfit-a traditional Scottish Kilt (February.) Although young Black men are known for their individual fashion flair, a Black man, or any man for that matter, would have to be pretty confident and daring to show up at a party wearing this ensemble. I can't imagine a male wearing this to work. Again, no prices are listed for the men's fashions, either.
The Beauty & Style department for The New Black Man & Woman also carries fashion advice, this month it is on "Power Suits." I liked all these selections. These truly can be worn to important executive meetings. They are classic, stylish and polished. They look comfortable but very expensive. The three-page article is also informative, well written and illustrated. Again there is no pricing information.
Sounding Off department covers the Best in Recorded Music of Black recording artists. The one page covers mostly accomplished musicians. In February's issue, read about Jill Scott, Experience Jill Scott 826+ (Hidden Beach,) Jermaine Dupre, Doggy Bag and Warren G, The Return of the Regulator. The featured music has a descriptive paragraph including information on the music and the artist as well as a picture. I think each paragraph is just too brief to really get a feel for the music. A long list of other music and recording artists are simply noted in a paragraph below, which is hard to read with white lettering against a purple background with titles highlighted in yellow. I didn't even bother with the listing since it was too jumbled together. I'm sure,though, that the musicians appreciate seeing their names and work mentioned.
House Calls department gives solid answers to readers' questions on health and fitness. The three questions this month deal with Cholesterol, Emphysema and Early Puberty. I wish that this department were longer than one page. Body Talk is another department, which doesn't appear in the February issue but is a good department that covers Black health and Fitness topics. In December it covers indoor workout classes. Three large photos accompany the three-page article.
Like House Calls, I also wish the Money Talk$ department were longer than one page. I'd also like to see a little more technical information imparted here. This month the topic is "Dating and Dollars: New Rules For New Times." In case you're interested the writer says that whoever asks for the date, pays. She also advises discussing the financial aspect of the date beforehand. Don't wait until the bill arrives. The December issue lists 5 ways to protect your finances in these uncertain times. The common sense advice has nothing new to offer but is sound and bears repeating.
The Travel Guide Department is still another department that is too brief and should be expanded. It is simply a brief listing of what's happening in 15+ cities and several Caribbean Islands. This month, the events center on Black History Month celebrations, Carnival and Mardi Gras. December listed activities and events for Christmas and Kwanzaa. I'd like to see more detailed coverage on some of these events, or, at least, one of these events.
Speaking of People department features role models of successful Blacks. This month there are two men honored - a CEO and Symphony Orchestra President, & a Leasepan USA Senior Vice President and one woman-a Reebok Vice President. The Black Americans featured here are usually highly successful people-many in high managerial positions. They are photographed at their job locations and brief information is given about their position, education and family life. I wish the coverage on each individual could be more detailed maybe mentioning some of the obstacles they had to overcome to get where they are today. The December issue has a very sad article remembering Black victims of the 9/11 tragedy. Two eleven-year-old boys are featured along with a flight attendant and the co-pilot of United Airlines flight 93.
Ebony Bookshelf is a one-page department covering notable print releases by Black authors. The subject matter of the books will interest Blacks. People of other races would certainly get an inside perspective of Black culture and history if they read these books. IN OUR OWN IMAGE by Patrick Henry Bass ($30) sounds like a wonderful chronicle of Black American Culture from 1945 to the present. It contains 300+ images and bits of memorabilia. I haven't read it but I'll check it out at my local bookstore. Don't expect to see themes of poverty and hardship, though. This is a different kind of story. This month the Top Shelf has a collection of 4 excellent selections each costing about $25. The Author Spotlight is on comedian Bernie Mac's new book, I AIN'T SCARED OF YOU: BERNIE MAC ON HOW LIFE IS. Since I know one of the writers of his TV show THE BERNIE MAC SHOW, I'm going to check out this book. There is also a very brief interview with the popular comedian. It should be longer.
Strictly for Laughs is a funny department that will bring a smile to your face. The three cartoons feature figures of color saying funny lines of Black humor. It keeps the magazine on the light side. I always get a chuckle out of them.
This month there is also a listing of the Gertrude Johnson Williams Literary Contest Winners. How nice that the winners get their names in print! Aspiring writers submitted short stories to Ebony and a committee of editors chose the final winners. Gertrude Johnson Williams was a former publisher of Ebony magazine. Her son founded the Johnson Publishing Co., which publishes Ebony magazine. He started with a loan of $500 based on her furniture. It's wonderful that the magazine recognizes and encourages aspiring writers!
The rest of the magazine contains features on different topics. Many articles are similar to topics readers would find in women's Lifestyles Magazines but they are all geared toward black readers and about successful Blacks. Mainly popular celebrities in sports, corporate and the entertainment fields are highlighted in features. Some popular Black celebrities never appear in issues. Sometimes up and coming entertainers are featured. Occasionally, even Caucasians are covered.
In last month's issue, "Star Power" is an excellent feature about Sean Combs, Michael Jackson, Destiny's Child, and Michael Jordan. Also read about Will Smith star of the movie, "Muhammad Ali." "Q on Camera" is all about Quincy Jones who is celebrating over 50 years in show business. This month there is a success story about young Black directors, "From Hell To Training Day." The three-page feature has several good close-up photos of the directors and the story is interesting to read.
Some features such as "How to Raise Drug Free Children"(Nov) will interest all parents regardless of race. Still other features deal with topics of interest mainly to Blacks such as "Black & Blond" (Dec) about Black Americans wearing their hair blonde. Recent parenting topics about how to raise Black boys and "Why Black Mothers are Falling Behind in Breast-Feeding" are geared mainly to Blacks but others will find them interesting reading as well. I did.
Some features deal with relationships and Black love. In January, women readers received useful tips on "7 Ways to Blow his Mind." This month there is equal time for male readers with "7 Ways to Blow her Mind." The fourth tip (very expensive) suggests picking her up in a limo and taking her away from it all on a weekend retreat. In addition, the suggestion involves sending her two deliveries of long stemmed red roses and packing her suitcase for her. Limos are pretty expensive these days - so are weekend getaways. (Personally, I wouldn't trust my husband to pack my suitcase for me.) I'm afraid single men who do this may lead their women to believe there is a marriage proposal coming so guys be careful. I guess Ebony's readers must be pretty affluent. It IS very romantic but a little too materialistic and contrived for my tastes.
Personally I prefer tip 5, which is to cook a four-course meal and naturally use good china, linens, flowers and candles. This suggestion is less extravagant, more personal, I think, and greatly less expensive. Another feature article under Black Love is "Top Weddings of the Year." This seven-page feature comes complete with some lovely wedding photographs of celebrated personalities in Entertainment. Everyone loves seeing brides and these Black brides are beautiful.
The articles I enjoyed most are about Black History and culture. In February's issue, under Black History there is an article on "The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters" that honors the dedicated men who became the first Black union to sign a major corporate contract(August 25, 1937.) Four black and white photos accompany the two-page article. Another article on Black History is "10 Most Important Figures in African American History." The 6-page article is a series of 10 black & white photos with a short sentence explaining why each person is included. I think the choices are good. Naturally, Martin Luther King, Jr. is first. Finally, "Chronicles of Black Courage" is the inspiring story of Mary McLeod Bethune who despite setbacks and little money realized her dream of establishing a school for Black Girls. As an educator, I loved every word of this four-page story. Another recent inspiring story for Blacks is "From Homelessness To Med School To Medals to Millions" in the December 2001 issue. It is about four Blacks who overcome adversity and become millionaires.
This month under Special Section is a series of four articles (12 pages) for Black males. They cover The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the oldest Black intercollegiate athletic conference, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Read about the traditions, the legends and the CIAA Hall of Fame followed by a Calendar of Events. Fans of collegiate baseball will enjoy the action shots and other color and b/w photographs that accompany the articles. Other recent sports articles are, "He's Back! Did Michael Jordan do the Right Thing?" and "Is the Black Quarterback Boom Real?" The August issue has a wonderful special issue on "The New Harlem."
Some features are on coping with life. This month read an article about dealing with personal crises. It's a touchingly sad story about the family of a young man who died when terrorist crashed a plane into the Pentagon. A three-page article, "3 at the Top" follows. It discusses how corporate leaders are dealing with the 9/11 crises. The article stresses their qualities of endurance, compassion and teamwork. The December issue has a two-part 9-page section on the 9/11 crisis. It discusses the roles Black Americans played in the aftermath of the crisis. It also contains editorials written by four very prominent Black Leaders explaining what the crisis means to them.
There are also family articles. This month there is an inside look at how two ordinary working parents raise their three girls. Last month there was one about a Chicago couple raising twins. I'd like to see more parenting articles and advice every month.
I also enjoyed the feature article/debate on "Was Cleopatra Black?" The information is interesting-so are the photos. Of course the question isn't answered because no one knows for sure. Other well written recent feature articles are about home improvement (Dec,) cars (Nov,) education (Sept,) religion (Dec,) and leadership (Dec.)
Johnson Publishing Co., which publishes Ebony magazine, is the world's largest Black publishing Company. It is also the # 1 Black owned publishing company. The company began publishing Ebony 57 years ago. The magazine is still going strong today. The company also publishes the sister magazine, Jet. Also part of the company is Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Supreme Beauty Products, Ebony Fashion Flair and Johnson Publishing Co. Book Division.
There isn't too much on the Website, www.ebony.com. Subscribe online-12 issues for $16.97-the same price that is on the postcard insert in issues. That brings the newsstand price of $2.75 to under $1.41. Get an even better deal right from this Epinions.com site. Links to other sites from here offer a subscription for only $14.97. This is a very good price for Ebony magazine.
Although the magazine is for Africans Americans, personally, I wonder how many Black men go out and buy Ebony magazine? Women write most of the letters to the editor. The magazine looks like it is really geared toward Black women although I admit it does include sports and automobile articles, relationship column and fashion news for men. In addition, many ads are aimed at Black males. I'll bet unless a sports figure appears on the cover, most purchasers are women. Their men though will probably read a few articles once the magazine is in the home. I doubt they read whole issues. Maybe I'm wrong. If I am, let me know.
I have a gripe about the ads. Yes, there are plenty of ads - a little less than half the magazine is advertising but other magazines have the same amount or more ads. What I mainly object to is the quantity of liquor and cigarette ads. Crown Royal Blended Canadian Whiskey, Grand Marnier Cognac, Beefeater Gin, Bacardi Rum, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Christian Brothers Brandy, Hennessy Cognac and Miller Brewing Co all run ads in Ebony although not all of them appear in every issue. The Miller ad in February's issue is selling a "Power in the Press" Tee shirt not beer but the company's name is still out there. Three cigarette companies, Newport, Omni and Kool also have ads.
I once called up a woman's magazine I subscribed to and complained about a two-page cigarette ad that it carried - in an issue covering cancer. I was told that the magazine needs the revenues from the cigarette industry to survive. So, probably this is truer for Ebony. By accepting the ads the magazine implies that the products receive its endorsement. Ebony is an inexpensive magazine, as it is. Does it really need so much advertising from these types of companies? The rest of the ads are for mostly Black beauty products, DVDs, books and films. Most ads use Black models. Other companies not selling specific products for Blacks also use Black models in their ads-companies like McDonalds, Sears, Wal-Mart and the big automobile and food companies.
I think some of the content could be a little more sophisticated. There is too much emphasis on celebrities. I'd like to read more articles of substance in the magazine in general. Too many of the articles include numbers in their titles such as "56 Most Intriguing...," "7 Ways to...," "10 Hottest Couples," "30 Leaders...," "10 Biggest Killers...," "10 Most Important...," "10 Things Men Wish...," "3 at the Top" and "25 Different Ways..."
I wish some of the departments offered more real information. They publish too much fluff. I would also like to see contact information listed for fashions displayed.
I especially like the Black History articles. I also like the leadership and achievement articles and the family/parenting features. I think it is great that Black Americans have magazines that they can call their own; ones that covers topics of interest to them. Ebony is an especially good one. All in all I liked the magazine. I recommend it mainly to young African-American women. The March issue will be the Annual Woman's Issue. Pick up an issue and decide for yourself if Ebony is for you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Travis Snider Makes Possible Catch Of The Year – VIDEO
Here's a definite "Catch of the Year" candidate.
It's outfielder Travis Snider of the Pittsburgh Pirates robbing Mike Baxter of the New York Mets of a home run.
I've seen some great catches this year, including about 20 by the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, but this one may very well be the best of 2012.


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Vamosa's Migration Methodology focuses on moving content seamlessly from one platform to another. Migration is a key area of opportunity when considering content quality and how it can be improved. Built upon the experience of hundreds of successful projects, the Vamosa Migration Methodology formalizes the steps required for improving content quality during a migration project.
In simple terms, the content migration requirement exists as a three stage process.
The methodology is designed to be used as a step by step guide during every migration project and is fundamental to successful and consistent delivery. Within Vamosa this approach has proven to be effective and is used as both a reference and a check list during content migration projects.
In conjunction with a delivery team familiar with the process and a stable and flexible toolset, in Vamosa Content Migrator, Vamosa has the ability to accurately plan and deliver large scale migration projects. The process has been proven to increase quality and consistency through the entire migration process.
Migration projects benefit from being processed using a method that:
Overall, the method approach addresses itself to balancing the key aspects of a project, those being Time, Function and Money.


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Anyone have the new Sony cover with light?
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Originally Posted by
I've got the 300 light cover and I actually like it. The photos someone showed or NOT accurate as photos tend to not show direct light very well. I don't have a spot on my screen, at least when I adjust it correctly. (If used a MightyBright light in the same fashion as the photo of the cover light, and the photo was poorly taken as that one was, it would show a spot too.)
Hey jswinden, feel free to post your own wonderful photos before you criticize someone else's efforts to share, as best they know how, their experience. Too often people give their opinions without posting any kind of photos to show what they're talking about. Since that frustrates me too, and I knew I was packing the light up and sending it back, I took photos, as best I could, to at least give everyone an idea of what I was talking about. In my follow up photos, I did the same. Sorry if my photos don't meet your high standards, but since all you've done is talk and not attempt to post any photos of your own, I'll take your opinion as nothing but hot air.
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Financial services sector focussed on the 'putting right'
Media release: Financial services sector focussed on the 'putting right' says FSCL CEO
Financial services providers seem to be doing a good job at resolving customer complaints says Susan Taylor, the Chief Executive Officer of dispute resolution scheme Financial Service Complaints Limited (FSCL).
FSCL's latest annual results show an 85% increase in enquiries and complaints received by FSCL compared to the same period last year (up to over 3,000), but only a 24% increase in the complaints the scheme had to formally investigate.
"These results suggest that while consumers are becoming more empowered to seek help when there are problems, our participants are doing a good job at putting things right," says Ms Taylor.
Of the 202 cases FSCL did investigate, over half (109) were settled either by the participant soon after the investigation started, though conciliation with a FSCL staff member, or by a recommendation suggesting that the participant pay compensation. Only four cases required a formal ruling by FSCL.
"In all these cases the complainant would have walked away with compensation or some other remedial action such as a loan restructure or an apology that has satisfied their complaint."
Ms Taylor says a total of $786,372 was
paid out in compensation during 2013/14, up from $514,785.62
last year.
For the first time, complaints about consumer credit made up the greatest share of cases FSCL investigated (44 of 202 complaints), followed closely by complaints about travel insurance (42).
Ms Taylor said that despite the increase in workload, continued growth in participant numbers and efficiencies meant it could reduce participants' annual fees for a second year running by 12.5% for 2014/15.
FSCL will release its full annual report for the 2013/14 financial year in October.
FSCL is an independent not-for-profit external dispute resolution scheme approved by the Minister for Consumer Affairs under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008.
It was the first scheme to be approved and has been designed for and in consultation with the financial services industry on the principles of efficiency and effectiveness. It is governed by an independent Board with equal consumer and industry representatives, and an independent Chair.
FSCL provides dispute resolution services to participating financial service providers and their clients. The FSCL process focuses on resolving complaints through conciliation and assisted negotiation and is also able to make formal determinations which are binding on financial service providers. The FSCL process is free to consumers. For more information on FSCL visit www.fscl.org.nz
The other dispute resolution schemes in the financial services industry are the Banking Ombudsman, the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman and the Government's reserve scheme, Financial Disputes Resolution. For more information about the financial services disputes resolution regime visit www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/for-consumers/how-to-complain/financial-service-providers-disputes- resolution


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Dec 22, 2009
|Filing date
|Mar 19, 2007
|Priority date
|Oct 2, 2003
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Eli Horn, Hagal Krupnik
|Original Assignee
|Given Imaging Ltd.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (5), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (8), Classifications (30), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/950,480 entitled, "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTATION OF DATA STREAMS" filed 28 Sep. 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,215,338 which claims benefit from prior U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/507,508 filed on Oct. 2, 2003 entitled, "DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTATION OF IN-VIVO DATA" each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to presentations of data streams and to a system and method for presenting in-vivo data.
Known in-vivo imaging devices include ingestible capsules that may capture images from the inside of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Captured images may be transmitted to an external source to be examined, for example, for pathology by a healthcare professional. In some embodiments, in-vivo devices may include various other sensors that may transmit data to an external source for monitoring and diagnosis.
An in-vivo device may collect data from different points along a body lumen, for example lumens of the GI tract, and transmit them externally for analysis and diagnosis. The GI tract is a very long and curvy path such that it may be difficult to get a good indication of where along this tract each transmitted datum was obtained.
Time bars are known to be used when reviewing data, so as to indicate to the health professional how far along the image stream he/she may have advanced. However, since the in-vivo device may stall or advance at different speeds through various sections of a body lumen, for example, the GI tract, it may not be positively determined in some cases where or at what distance along the GI tract was a particular datum, for example an image, captured. In addition, on the time bar there may be no indication as to when the device may have reached certain anatomical milestones, for example, the duodenum, the cecum, or other anatomical locations in the GI tract.
Localization methods have been applied. Some localization methods may indicate the spatial position of the device in space at any given time. Although this information together with the time log may give the health professional a better indication of the rate at which the device has advanced it may still be difficult to correlate the spatial position of the device in space to the specific anatomy of, for example, the GI tract.
An in-vivo device may collect data from more than one sensor along the very long and curvy path resulting in multiple data streams captured by the in-vivo sensor. It may be time consuming and difficult to review multiple long streams of data. In addition, it may be difficult for a health profession to get an overall view of the contents of all the data obtained.
Embodiments of the present invention may provide a system and method for generating and displaying a fixed graphical presentation of captured in-vivo data streams. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixed graphical presentation is a varying visual representation of a quantity or a dimension captured in an in-vivo data stream. In one example the graphical presentation is in the form of a color bar. In other embodiments of the present invention, the fixed graphical presentation may be displayed along side a streaming display of a data stream.
The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanied drawings in which:
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to male and use the invention as provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those with skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.
Embodiments of the present invention offer a device, system and method for generating a fixed graphical presentation of a captured data stream, for example image streams, other non-imaged data, or other data such as color coded, possibly imaged data (e.g., pH data, temperature data, etc.) that may have been collected in vivo, for example along the GI tract. The summarized graphical presentation may include, for example, a varying visual representation, for example, a series of colors that may be at least partially representative of a quantity and/or data collected, e.g. a series of colors where each color presented on the bar may representative of a value of a parameter. Other suitable representations may be used, and other visual dimensions or qualities, such as brightness, size, width, pattern, etc. may be used. In some embodiments of the present invention, the summarized graphical presentation may be a fixed display along side a streaming display of the data stream
In one embodiment of the invention, the presentation may map out a varying quantity (e.g. a captured data stream) and may, for, example, give indication of the relationship between the data stream captured and the anatomical origin or position relative to a start of the captured data stream, for example, the approximate or exact site, for example, in the GI tract from where various data captured may have originated. In another embodiment of the invention, the mapping may give, for example, an indication of an event (e.g. a physiological event) captured, measured, or otherwise obtained. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the mapping may give for example an indication of change of one or more parameters measured over time, for example, a change occurring due to pathology, a natural change in the local environment, or due to other relevant changes. The location may be relative to other information, for example, anatomical attributes along for example the GI tract. The location may in some embodiments be an absolute location, such as a location based on time or based on position of an in-vivo information capture device, based on an image frame in a sequence of images, etc.
Reference is made to
The in-vivo imaging device 40 may typically, according to embodiments of the present invention, transmit information (e.g., images or other data) to an external data receiver and/or recorder 12 possibly close to or worn on a subject. Typically, the data receiver 12 may include an antenna or antenna array 15 and a data receiver storage unit 16. The data receiver and/or recorder 12 may of course take other suitable configurations and may not include an antenna or antenna array. In some embodiments of the present invention, the receiver may, for example, include processing power and/or a LCD display from displaying image data.
The data receiver and/or recorder 12 may, for example, transfer the received data to a larger computing device 14, such as a workstation or personal computer, where the data may be further analyzed, stored, and/or displayed to a user. Typically, computing device 14 may include processing unit 13, data processor storage unit 19 and monitor 18. Computing device 14 may typically be a personal computer or workstation, which includes standard components such as processing unit 13, a memory, for example storage or memory 19, a disk drive, a monitor 18, and input-output devices, although alternate configurations are possible. Processing unit 13 typically, as part of its functionality, acts as a controller controlling the display of data for example, image data or other data. Monitor 18 is typically a conventional video display, but may, in addition, be any other device capable of providing image or other data. Instructions or software for carrying out a method according to an embodiment of the invention may be included as part of computing device 14, for example stored in memory 19.
In other embodiments, each of the various components need not be required; for example, the in-vivo device 40 may transmit or otherwise transfer (e.g., by wire) data directly to a viewing or computing device 14
In-vivo imaging systems suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention may be similar to various embodiments described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,531, assigned to the common assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference, and/or Publication Number WO 01/65995, also assigned to the common assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference. Other in-vivo systems, having other configurations, may be used. Of course, devices, systems, structures, functionalities and methods as described herein may have other configurations, sets of components, processes, etc.
Embodiments of the present invention include a device, system, and method for generating a typically concise and/or summarized graphical presentation of parameters sensed through or over time in a body lumen, for example the GI tract or any other tract, through which a sensing device may be present and/or traveling. Viewing a data stream captured by an in-vivo device, e.g., viewing an image stream transmitted by an ingestible imaging capsule may be a prolonged procedure. A summarized presentation of the data captured that may, for example, provide a visual representation and/or map of the captured data and may help focus a health professional's attention to an area of interest and/or may promote a health professional's understanding of the origin and contents of the data being viewed.
One or more streams of data obtained from said sensing device may be processed to create one or more summarized presentations that may, for example, be displayed in a graphical user interface, for example a graphical user interface of analysis software.
According to one embodiment, presentation of a data stream (e.g., a stream or set of images, a sequence of pH data, etc.) may be with a bar, for example, a color bar that may be displayed, for example, on a monitor 18 perhaps through a graphical user interface, or, for example, in real time on an LCD display on a receiver 12 as a data stream is being captured. The presentation may include a varying visual representation of a quantity or a dimension representing, for example, a varying quantity captured in a portion of (e.g., an image frame) an in-vivo data stream. In one example the dimension may be color. The presentation may typically be an abstracted or summarized version of image or other data being presented, for example, streamed on a different portion of the display. The presentation may typically include multiple image items or data items such as bars, stripes, pixels or other components, assembled in a continuing series, such as a bar including multiple strips, each strip corresponding to an image frame. For example, a portion of the presentation may represent a summary of the overall color scheme, brightness, pH level, temperature, pressure, or other quantity on a displayed frame or data item.
Reference is now made to
The color bar may be generated by, for example, assigning a color to each element (e.g., an image frame) or subgroup of elements in the data stream and then processing the series of colors, for example such that it may emphasize variations within the displayed properties. In one embodiment of the invention, it may be processed, for example to emphasize cue points in an accompanying video such that, for example, it may be used as an ancillary tool for indicating points of interest. In one embodiment of the invention, a stream of data 210 may be displayed along side one or more bars and/or graphical presentations (220 and 230) described herein. The data stream 210 may be for example data represented in the graphical presentation 220 (e.g. a captured in-vivo image stream) or other data obtained and/or sampled simultaneously or substantially simultaneously with the data represented in the graphical presentation 220. In one example, a marker or indicator 250 may progress across or along the graphical presentation 220 as the substantially corresponding datum in data stream 210 (e.g., video) may be concurrently displayed to indicate the correspondence between the graphical presentation 220 and the data stream 210. In other embodiments of the invention, the presentation may be of a shape other than a bar, for example a circle, oval, square, etc. According to other embodiments, the presentation may be in the form of an audio tract, graph, and other suitable graphic presentations.
An indicator 250 such as a cursor may advance along the time bar 230 and graphical presentation 220 as the image stream 210 is scrolled on the display 200. In one example, control buttons 240 may be included in the display that may allow the user to, for example, fast-forward, rewind, stop play or reach the beginning or end, of, for example, an image stream 210. In other embodiments of the present invention, a user may control the display of a data stream 210, for example, by altering the start position of the streaming display, e.g. skipping to areas of interest, by moving the position of indicator 250, for example with a mouse or other pointing device. In other embodiments of the present invention, a user and/or health professional may insert indications or markers such as thumbnails to mark location along the image stream for easy access to those locations in the future. For example, a health professional may mark these milestones on the graphical presentation 220 (e.g., using a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, etc). Some embodiments described in Published United States patent application US-2002-0171669-A1, entitled "System and method for annotation on a moving image", published on Nov. 21, 2002, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, include methods and devices to mark or annotate portions of an image stream; such methods may be used in conjunction with embodiments of the present invention. Other suitable methods for marking or annotating a stream of data may be used. A user may then "click" on the thumbnails to advance to the site of datum, for example the image frame, of interest or alternatively click on the graphical presentation 220 to advance or retract to the image frame, of interest and then, for example, continue or begin streaming and/or viewing the data stream from that desired point of interest.
Thumbnails or other markers may be defined based on an image of interest from the data stream 210, based on a location identified on the graphical presentation 220 or based on a time recorded on time bar 230. Other suitable methods of defining thumbnails or other markers or notations may be used. For example, a computer algorithm may be used to identify thumbnails that may be of interest to, for example, the health professional. Algorithm based thumbnails may also, for example, be based on an image of interest from the data stream 210, based on a location identified on the graphical presentation 220 or based on a time recorded on time bar 230, or other methods. In other embodiments, the graphical presentation 220 may be in itself a series of color thumbnails, so that a user may point or "click" on colors in the color bar to restart the display of the data stream from a different point in the stream.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the color scheme of image frames taken of tissue over time may change, for example as an in-vivo imaging device 40 travels along the GI tract. Changes in the color scheme of the images may be used to identify, for example, passage through a specific anatomical site, for example, the duodenal, cecum or other sites, and/or may indicate pathology, for example bleeding or other pathology. When presenting an image stream of a tissue in a summarized, concise color bar, the changes in color streams may be readily identified. For example, passage into the cecum may be identified by a color that may be typical to the large intestine, for example, a color that may indicate content or a color typical of the tissue found in the large intestine. Entrance into the duodenum may be identified by another color that may be typical of the tissue in the small intestine. Other anatomical sites may be identified by observing color and/or changing color streams on a color bar, for example, a tissue color bar. In other embodiments a pathological condition, such as for example, the presence of polyps, bleeding, etc., may be identified by viewing, for example, a tissue graphical presentation 220. A specific area of interest, such as pathology indicated by blood, may be directly identified through the tissue. As such a health professional may first examine the tissue graphical presentation 220 and only afterwards decide what block of images to review. In some embodiments of the present invention, an algorithm may be employed to identify anatomical sites, pathologies, or areas of interest using data from such a color bar and bring them to the attention of a health professional, by for example marking the area of interest along the displayed color bar. A health professional may use the thumbnails or markings along a tissue color bar, for example, markings and/or markings of the first gastric image 320, the first duodenum image 330 and the first cecum image 340 to locate where along the GI tract the data 210 (concurrently being displayed) may be originating from. Knowing the area at which an image was captured may help a health professional decide if an image viewed is representative of a healthy or pathological tissue, and may help a health professional to determine other conditions.
According to some embodiments, different colors or other visual indications, shades, hues, sizes or widths, etc. may he artificially added to a processed data stream, for example, in order to accentuate changes along the data stream. Other processing methods may be used to enhance the information presented to the user. In one embodiment of the invention smoothing may or may not be performed on selected pixels based on decision rules. For example in one embodiment of the invention smoothing may not be performed on dark pixels or on green pixels that may indicate content in the intestines.
Reference is now made to
In one embodiment of the present invention, color bar 226 may give indication of the presence of blood over a period of time. International application published as WO 02/26103 entitled "An immobilizable in vivo sensing device" assigned to the assignee of the present invention which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety includes, inter alia descriptions of embodiments of devices, such as capsules, that may be anchored at post-surgical sites. Embodiments described in International application WO 02/26103 may be used in conjunction with the system and methods described herein to capture and transmit data for an in-vivo site over time. A presentation of the captured data, for example a color bar may give indication of any changes occurring over time from a current static situation or may show an overview of how a tissue healed or changed over time without having to review the entire stream image by image.
Reference is now made to
Non-limiting examples of different types of graphical presentations (e.g., color bars, series of brightness levels, etc.) may include:
International application published as WO02102223, entitled "MOTILITY ANALYSIS WITHIN A GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT" assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety includes, inter alia, a device, system, and methods for determining in-vivo motility that may be used in conjunction with the device, system, and method described herein. Other suitable representations other than bars and other suitable types of data may be implemented using the device, system, and method described herein.
Reference is now made to
Various suitable methods may be use to abstract data from the source data stream (e.g. an image stream, a series of temperature data) to the fixed representation. Reference is now made to
1+2(alpha*N/Np); alpha=2.2;
where N is the original pixel size and Np is the desired pixel size of the resultant tissue color bar presentation. Other equations or formulae may be used.
In block 540 the pixel size of the resultant tissue color bar presentation may be set by decimating the vector of colors to a desired size, for example, decimating each color vector to the desired size by interpolation.
Other methods of generating a tissue color bar or other data summary may be implemented. In one embodiment, a series of data items, such as for example one or more individual images, may be converted to a data point, such as a color area or a color strip within a larger display area, such as a color bar. An average brightness value for each image or set of images may be found, and a bar or assemblage of strips of widths, patterns, colors or brightnesses corresponding to the averaged values may be generated. The values such as pH, pressure or temperature corresponding to each of an image or set of images (e.g., in a device collecting both image and other data) may be found, and a bar or assemblage of strips or other image units of widths, colors or, brightnesses corresponding to the averaged values may be generated. One or more images may be converted or processed to a corresponding stripe of color. Various data items may be combined together to individual data points using, for example, averaging, smoothing, etc. In one embodiment the luminance of the images can be normalized and only normalized chromatic information of the data for example the tissue's color, can be shown, eliminating, for example, the contribution of the light source. Other color bars or other presentations of data obtained in-vivo other than imaged data may be generated.
Color bars and other representations of data may aid in reducing the viewing time necessary to review an image stream. A health professional may, in one embodiment of the present invention, use a pointer, for example, a mouse to point at an area along the color bar that may be of interest. The graphical user interface may in turn skip to the corresponding location on the data stream, so that a health professional may focus into the area of interest without having to review an entire image stream. A health professional may for example, change the rate at which to view different portions defined by a tissue color bar. A specific area of interest, such as pathology indicated by blood, may be directly identified through the tissue. As such a health professional may first examine the tissue color bar and only afterwards decide what block of images is he interested in reviewing. When screening patients it may be possible only to review one or more data presentations, such as a tissue color bar. In other examples, a summarized graphical presentation of a data stream may be generated in real time in for example a recorder, 12, and displayed in real time on a display included in recorder 12.
In other embodiments of the present invention, a graphical presentation, for example, color bar may be used for other purposes besides presentation of in-vivo data. For example, a color bar may be used as a summarizing presentation of any stream of frames, for example a video. A summarized graphical presentation, for example a color bar as described herein, of a video may help a viewer to locate different scenes in a video and possibly fast forward, rewind or skip to that scene. For example, a scene in a movie that might have been filmed outdoors may for example have a different color scheme than a later or earlier scene that may have been filmed indoors. The color bar may be analogous to a color table of contents.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that many modifications, variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents are possible in light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
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|Gavriel Meron
|System and method for annotation on a moving image
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|Wong Pak Chung
|Dynamic visualization of data streams
|Davidson T, Shreiber R, Jacob H; Multi-viewing of video streams: a new concept for efficient review of capsule endoscopy studies; Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; 2003; vol. 57, No. 5, p. AB164.
|International Search Report Application No. 04770577.7 Dated Dec. 8, 2006.
|Lewis B.S: "The Utility of Capsule Endoscopy in Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding" Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, vol. 5, No. 3 Jul. 2003, pp. 115-120.
|Citing Patent
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|Sep 10, 2010
|May 1, 2012
|Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
|Image processing system and method for body-insertable apparatus
|Apr 6, 2012
|Oct 28, 2014
|Given Imaging Ltd.
|Method and system for identification of red colored pathologies in vivo
|Aug 8, 2014
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|System and method for detection of transitions in an image stream of the gastrointestinal tract
|Jun 12, 2009
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|Covidien Lp
|System and method of evaluating a subject with an ingestible capsule
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|U.S. Classification
|345/440, 345/440.2, 715/764
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
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|Jan 19, 2009
Owner name: GIVEN IMAGING LTD., ISRAEL
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:HORN, ELI;KRUPNIK, HAGAI;REEL/FRAME:022123/0402
Effective date: 20040928
|Mar 8, 2013
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|May 23, 2017
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8


text:
deer & doe airelle 1 & 2
Added Jan 24, 2014
by cathytxtwfr
Ouidah, Benin
Deer and Doe's Airelle blouse is the perfect blouse for layering underneath sweaters! I love the gathers on the front yoke and the roomy sleeves. I made two versions, one out of polyester and one out of rayon crepe. The rayon crepe is my favorite – this pattern is perfect for all those flowy drapey fabrics you've been saving. It came together nicely, and I'm just in love with how the collar pokes out when worn with a sweater. Instructions were succint, but it is a pattern aimed at intermediate sewers. I recommend having already sewn a facing, darts, and collar before attempting this pattern.
I have more photos and a few more words in my sewing blog here: http://cathywu.com/journal/kalali/2014/01/23/deer-doe-airelle-1-and-2/
- For
- Women
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text:
"Hunger," divides itself neatly into three acts. The first act, almost entirely absent of dialogue, observes a bunch of dirty, naked men in prison who paint the walls with their feces and routinely get beat up – er, I mean, "cleaned up" — by the prison guards. The third act, also almost entirely absent of dialogue, observes one man as he voluntarily starves to death, sores opening up on his body as he grows shockingly thin and begins to hallucinate.
The middle act is a twenty minute conversation between one of the prisoners and a priest. It attempts to explain both the scenes that came before, and the ones that come after. He is an Irish terrorist, or activist, depending on your point of view, and he and his compatriots are trying to get the British government to consider them political prisoners, and not the normal type. This is why they're naked in the first act; they refuse to wear the prison uniforms. And this is why they starve to death in the third act. We are told at the end of the film that the British government granted all of their demands, one at a time, while never giving them the title they longed for.
For what it is, I guess "Hunger" is well-made. The takes are long, the performance intense, the lighting and mise-en-scene impressive. Yet I struggle to understand who would enjoy watching this movie. If you were to take the evisceration scene from "Braveheart" — easily the most powerful scene in that movie — and stretched it out for two hours, you would have "Hunger." So much of the movie is devoted to brutal beating, open sores, feces-stained walls and desperate looks in bloodshot eyes, it feels more like a tour through a third world hospital than a trip to the cinema.


text:
Keep Your Eye on the Factory Floor
This is the 11th in an occasional series showing how major economic reports can affect the stock and bond markets
The U.S. economy is sailing through rough waters right now, and one sector, manufacturing, has already washed up on the rocks. Will the factory recession get so severe that it drags down the whole economy--which will further hammer profit expectations and stock prices?
To find out, investors have to pay attention to the manufacturing numbers. "Manufacturing is the most cyclically sensitive sector," says Suzanne Rizzo, U.S. economist at New York consulting firm MFR. "When you are looking for a turn in the business cycle, you can get an advance read from the factory data." For instance, because of an overbuilding of inventories, the manufacturing sector cut production and employment in earnest back in the early fall of 2000. The rest of the economy didn't show signs of slowing down until a few months later, around the time the stock market got a whole lot worse.
In addition, though manufacturing accounts for just 16% of the economy, its influence is felt across a spectrum of industries, such as advertising, computer services, consulting, and retailing. So even if your holdings don't include any smokestack companies, you still need to know whether factories are busy or not.
You can gain some insight through four monthly reports. One is the Federal Reserve's Industrial Production & Capacity Utilization report. The U.S. Commerce Dept.'s Bureau of the Census puts out two: the Advance Report on Durable Goods Orders and the report on Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders. Lastly, the National Association of Purchasing Management calculates the monthly purchasing managers' index for manufacturing (BW--June 5, 2000), known to be a favorite of Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan.
Savvy investing, of course, is about anticipating the future. That's one reason why "durable-goods orders is the most closely watched" of the government reports, says Rizzo. If the makers of durable goods see increased demand for their products, future production and revenues look good. As its name implies, the report covers the dollar value of new orders for durable goods, typically defined as goods that last more than three years. Since most hard goods are expensive and financed on credit, the sector is very sensitive to swings in interest rates. Thus, a change in Fed policy affects this sector first--another reason Wall Street pays close attention.
The durable-goods report sums up the demand for many items from high-cost aircraft to low-tech office furniture, so you have to get behind the summary numbers to understand what's going on. (The data can be found at www.census.gov.) For instance, on Feb. 27, Commerce reported that orders plunged 6%, and Wall Street took that as a sign that the economy was going to hell in a handbasket. Investors clamored for an immediate Fed rate cut. But if you stripped away a huge drop in airplane orders, durable goods fell a less worrisome 1.6%. No wonder the Fed waited until its scheduled Mar. 20 meeting to cut rates.
In fact, when some Fed officials want to see how business spending on capital goods is holding up, they focus on new orders for capital goods excluding defense and aircraft. If you're buying shares in companies making heavy machinery or tech hardware, that's the order category to watch. Look for the March report on Apr. 25.
The shipment and inventory report, also called M-3, covers durable and nondurable goods. It comes out about a week after the durable-goods news and is available at the same Web site. Typically, Wall Street pays less attention since the durables report contains the bulk of the orders data. What's new is a first look at inventories. In an economy veering toward services, activity inside the nation's warehouses is usually pretty boring stuff. But nowadays, inventory news is hot because our current sluggishness can be traced to a buildup of too many goods. As Greenspan told Congress on Feb. 28: "A round of inventory rebalancing appears to be in progress. Accordingly, the slowdown in the economy that began around the middle of 2000 intensified, perhaps even to the point of growth stalling out around the turn of the year."
TOO BIG A GAP. What went wrong? In 2000, business kept stocking merchandise even as demand slowed in response to the Fed's prior interest rate hikes. By September, the M-3 report showed that inventories were building while sales fell. In response, factories, especially auto makers, cut output and jobs. Rizzo says the magnitude of the inventory overhang "can mean the difference between soft landing and recession." That's because if manufacturing's woes spread, the resulting layoffs and loss of income can stop consumer spending in its tracks.
What's Greenspan looking at to gauge factory activity? The Fed has its own factory numbers: the industrial production report. The total industrial production index is made up of indexes covering manufacturing, mining, and utilities. The latest data show factory production falling for five consecutive months. Check www.federalreserve.gov on Apr. 17 to find its March performance.
The report also contains capacity-utilization rates, or how much of their physical plant and equipment factories are using. An average operating rate over 85% can signal that the economy is growing at such a robust pace that production shortages or bottlenecks threaten big price increases. That was a chief concern of the Fed back in 1994 when it last brought the economy in for a soft landing.
Remember the soft landing? That's what the Fed was aiming for with its 1999 and 2000 rate hikes. But business slowed too much, and now the Fed is fighting the risk of recession. Can it put the economy back on track? Manufacturing will tell. But you don't have to punch a time card or wear a hard hat to see what's happening on the factory floor. The manufacturing numbers tell all.
By Kathleen Madigan


text:
Colonel George "Bud" Day Research Paper by BrainC
Colonel George "Bud" Day
This paper tells the story of Colonel George "Bud" Day's heroic life in an attempt to shed some light on what separates him from others.
# 52694 | 6,005 words | 14 sources | APA | 2004 |
Published on Sep 13, 2004 in History (Leaders) , History (U.S. Post-Modern 1965-Present)
$79.95 Buy and instantly download this paper now
This paper explains that Medal of Honor winner, Colonel George "Bud" Day, who served America in three wars during his 34-year military career, survived 67 months of captivity during Vietnam War. The author points out that Day, having more than 50 combat awards, including the Medal of Honor, is the most highly decorated officer since Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The paper relates that, like ancient Athens, modern America pays tribute to those who have paved the way for the lives we lead today, many at the expense of their own lives.
Table of Contents
A Heroic POW
A Life Worth Living
How Day's Heroism Continued after the Air Force
Table of Contents
A Heroic POW
A Life Worth Living
How Day's Heroism Continued after the Air Force
From the Paper:"During the second week of his escape, Day started to hear the nearby sounds of American artillery and helicopters. In the darkness of night, he continued his journey until the base camp was in sight. He was afraid to approach the friendly fortress during the darkness because he knew the defenders might mistake him for an enemy, so he lay down in the jungle to await dawn. Shortly before the sun rose, he looked up to see a North Vietnamese soldier pointing an AK-47 rifle at him. Attempting to escape, Day was shot in his left hand and thigh. A day and a half later, he was recaptured and returned to his original prison camp."
Cite this Research Paper:
APA Format
Colonel George "Bud" Day (2004, September 13) Retrieved August 18, 2017, from http://www.academon.com/research-paper/colonel-george-bud-day-52694/
MLA Format
"Colonel George "Bud" Day" 13 September 2004. Web. 18 August. 2017. <http://www.academon.com/research-paper/colonel-george-bud-day-52694/>


text:
Kansas City, Mo. • The top tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs a year ago currently resides third on the depth chart, trailing a veteran newcomer and a rather unheralded draft pick.
That alone is illustrative of a couple points.
Kansas City, Mo. • The top tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs a year ago currently resides third on the depth chart, trailing a veteran newcomer and a rather unheralded draft pick.
That alone is illustrative of a couple points.
First, the Chiefs didn't get a whole lot of production out of the position last year, when they fielded one of the worst offenses in the NFL. And second, new coach Andy Reid intends to get a whole lot more out of it this season, perhaps to take some of the load off his wide receivers.
That's why he refused to stand pat with Tony Moeaki this offseason, paying big money to lure free agent Anthony Fasano to Kansas City and then spending a third-round draft pick on Travis Kelce.
All three are expected to contribute to the Chiefs' revamped offense beginning Friday night, when they open their preseason schedule in New Orleans.
"It's a big group, a physical group and a group, I think, that is really balanced for tight ends," Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said. "I mean that as far as run and pass. A group that can really block and hold their own but really some weapons in the pass game as well."
That may prove more valuable than blocking in Reid's modified West Coast offense.
Jamaal Charles is certain to get plenty of carries, so blocking will remain important for the tight ends. But the ability of all three to stretch defenses will be counted upon heavily given that Kansas City is unsettled and largely unproven beyond Dwayne Bowe at wide receiver.
Besides, in an increasingly pass-happy NFL, it's become trendy to use tight ends as big, burly targets down the field, rather than as brutish blockers on the line of scrimmage. Reid did that with Brent Celek in Philadelphia, and guys such as Jason Witten of the Cowboys and Jimmy Graham of the Saints have brought a bit of glamour to a once-unsexy position with their pass-catching ability.
"The whole offense in general can take the pressure off of everyone," said Kelce, who is No. 2 on the Chiefs depth chart behind Fasano. "The offense is so friendly in terms of making it easier on guys with their hands on the ball. That being said, I think we take pressure off the receivers."
The Chiefs signed Kevin Boss in free agency last season, but he was sidelined by a concussion early in the year. That left Moeaki as the only tight end as a threat in the passing game, and he ended up with just 33 catches for 453 yards and one touchdown.
Throw in the modest numbers of backup tight ends Steve Maneri, Kevin Boss and Jake O'Connell and Chiefs tight ends managed 44 catches for 587 yards and two scores out of the position.
By comparison, there were 13 tight ends in the NFL who had more yards receiving last season, and 22 who had more catches than the Chiefs' tight ends combined. Witten alone had 110 catches for 1,039 yards, nearly double what Kansas City managed to produce in 2012.


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Easing the reins on money flows
The arguments in favour of China drastically relaxing its capital controls are compelling. The mainland has become a major exporter of capital in recent years. Thanks mainly to its consistently large current-account surplus, it must export capital either by purchasing securities denominated in foreign currencies - to build up its foreign reserves - or by allowing domestic companies and private individuals to acquire foreign assets with fewer restrictions.
But, so far, China's export of capital has been mostly state-driven, resulting in rapid increases of foreign reserves. However, the recent policy initiative unveiled by the People's Bank of China - aimed at facilitating outward Chinese investment - suggests that Beijing is ready to relax capital controls earlier, and at a faster pace, than expected. If so, this will have many positive effects.
Another reason why China will remain an exporter of capital for the foreseeable future is the high savings rate among consumers. This situation - and the investment excesses it fuels - will persist for a long time. But the risk is that state-led investment, and the inefficient allocation of resources, will depress private demand, resulting in low-quality economic growth.
On the surface, China's first-quarter growth of 10.2 per cent and continued low inflation suggest the economy is in an enviable state. But the growth continues to rely on fixed-asset investment, which rose at a blistering pace of 27.7 per cent in the first quarter. Meanwhile, according to the central bank's survey, consumers' willingness to spend has declined for the third consecutive quarter.
The question is what should - or can - policymakers do to redress such imbalances and promote more sustainable growth? Monetary tightening is an easy choice, but it would not tackle the fundamental problem of local governments' strong desire to pursue faster economic growth in their areas. Moreover, this entails its own risks - namely, in the banking sector: yields for three-year and five-year government bonds are barely above one-year deposit rates. If the central bank slams on the brakes too hard by raising interest rates, banks could immediately face large losses from their higher short-term borrowing costs when their long-term lending rates remain low.
What, then, is the best available policy option for improving the allocation of resources? The answer is a much faster pace of capital-account liberalisation - easing restrictions on capital flows. This is the most effective way to rein in fixed-asset investment and ease the persistent upward pressure on the yuan.
More importantly, as the central bank advocates, such liberalisation would make China's foreign-exchange market deeper by 'storing foreign reserves among individuals rather than in the state'. This would enable the central bank to scale back its intervention in the foreign-exchange market, which should silence foreign critics.
The easing of capital controls should be meaningful as well as gradual, and the central bank's latest measures are much bolder than previous ones. Individuals will be able to purchase up to US$20,000 a year in foreign currency; domestic banks will be allowed to tap into less risky fixed-income instruments overseas; and domestic institutional investors will be able to invest in foreign equities.
Hopefully these measures, which begin on May 1, will be implemented smoothly. A faster pace of capital-account relaxation promises the best way to improve investment returns for China's domestic capital - and thereby ease the economic imbalances that are increasing the risk of a hard landing.
Steven Sitao Xu , an economist by training, is the Economist Intelligence Unit Corporate Network's director of advisory services in China
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*she isn't all that money-minded, really
Image: Faten M
Allah Ghalib-01.jpg
for my mum
After a lifetime of doodling, cutting-and-pasting and trying endlessly to create order, Faten Mahmood realized she could continue to do so while getting paid for it. She graduated with Top Honors from the American University in Dubai in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in Visual Communication, her concentration Graphic Design. Having resigned from her post at a leading strategic brand management agency in Dubai, TMH, she has taken a year off to study Design & Strategy on scholorship at the UCA, Surrey in the hopes of garnering even more money when she gets back in the industry*. Faten likes cats and tuning guitars and thinks Live Trace in Adobe Illustrator is a sham.
*she isn't all that money-minded, really


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|Home > World News > Article
Fun is the order of the day, Herald Correspondent Hamish McDonald writes from Beijing.
The queues start at 6am every Sunday outside the Foreign Languages Bookshop on fashionable Wanfuxing Street in the centre of Beijing.
The objective is not a cut-price bargain or concert ticket, but a chance to be edified and maybe embarrassed over one's stumbling attempts to speak a foreign tongue in front of 2000 other people.
It has been full house ever since the Beijing authorities started the Sunday morning lectures on English two years ago.
Those who get one of the coveted seats can listen to one of China's English-language gurus and perhaps be called on stage to say a few words or sing a few lines themselves - to sympathetic laughter and applause.
With Beijing selected as venue for the 2008 Olympics and China set on globalised trade through its World Trade Organisation membership, the city is now gripped by an officially-sponsored craze for learning English, aimed at producing up to 400,000 fluent English speakers among the city's 13 million population by the time of the games, as well as a helpful level of ability among many more.
That's craze, as in crazy. The city's normally rather rigid bureaucracy has set an official line that English must be fun. The guidelines for its "Beijing Speaks English Program" stipulates that activities should be "popular, practical, mass-participating and entertaining". The result are frequent public lectures, festivals in parks and historic places like the former imperial palace, and competitive speaking and singing where ordinary citizens are encouraged to have a go.
There is a method in this riotous approach. As in other East Asian societies where social shame or notions of face inhibit efforts to practice foreign languages, the Chinese have long preferred to study on paper.
"In the past, the Chinese were known for learning English as deaf and dumb people," said Liu Yang, deputy director of the city program. "They learnt to read and write, but not to listen and speak. We stress that Beijing has to speak English, not just learn English. Our slogan is 'Don't be shy, just try'."
As well as these public activities, English ability is being targeted on other fronts.
Two years ago the Ministry of Education announced that school pupils would start formal English lessons in grade 1 (ages six to seven) instead of grade 3.
Meanwhile, government and private employers are encouraging staff to learn English, often giving time off work and paying for tuition. The result is a boom in private language schools, ranging from expensive courses for business executives costing as much as 30,000 yuan ($6450) for a year's intensive tuition, to bucket-shop conversation classes costing a few hundred yuan a term.
The city government says about 2000 foreigners are registered as resident language teachers, but several hundred more are thought to be teaching English in violation of their tourist visas.
Even without a certificate to teach English as a foreign language, a presentable native speaker can earn about 8000 yuan a month for 20 hours teaching a week.
The English mania has made national celebrities of several teaching entrepreneurs.
There is Li Yang, known for his Crazy English lectures in halls and television studios where audience participation is part of the game. Mr Li's latest twist is a so-called "concentration camp" to start next weekend in Beijing, in which up to 30 students undergo 10 hours a day of English tuition over 12 days, costing 1660 yuan.
And there is "Hogan" or Sun Zheng . Hogan, 29, has no formal training as an English teacher, and has never seen the old television show Hogan's Heroes from which college mates took his nickname. But in the middle of a "career slump" three years ago, he devised a television show featuring mini-stories filmed around China, in which foreign and Chinese actors get into excruciating predicaments, such as a foreigner losing his wallet at the Great Wall.
Broadcast at prime time on Beijing television, Yanghu Liantian (Foreign Talk Page-after-Page) has since been picked up by nearly 50 regional television stations and has about 67 million viewers.
As well as a share of the show's advertising revenue, Hogan's Modern English group sells about 70,000 copies of the show's text each year.
The second spin-off is the group's six Modern English schools in Beijing, attended by about 10,000 students. Hogan is now excitedly franchising his language schools around China, with 17 takers so far.
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It's good to be a New York Jets fan right now. That is a sentence I haven't said many times in my life. I may have said it briefly last year but then Brett Favre and Eric Mangini quickly brought me down to Earth. This year is different, however. The Jets are now 3-0 after a 24-17 win over the Titans Sunday and all signs point to this team being for real. Here are a few reasons why the Jets will not disappoint their fans this season (for once).
Rex Ryan is the top reason why the Jets will not falter this year. This guy knows what he's doing. The Ravens were the most dominant defense in the league when he was a defensive coordinator there. Now the Jets look like the most dominant defense in the league.
Also, he's just awesome. The fans love him and the players love him. For once, the Jets are not only good, but exciting. Even in the few good years they had with Chad Pennington and Herm Edwards, they were a boring team to watch. Chad would dink and dunk the team to a boring 13-10 win. Now they're flying all over the field, laying people out and making big plays.
Through three games Mark Sanchez has shown he has what it takes to be a QB in the National Football League. Sanchez has shown great poise and decision-making for a rookie QB. After yesterday's win, during the post-game news conference, he said the two fumbles he made were unacceptable and that he needs to get better. His numbers don't blow you away at this point but he's been solid enough to win ball games.
One concern for the Jets coming into the season was their lack of receiver talent. So far, Jerricho Cotchery has shown he can handle being a # 1 receiver. Cotchery turned in a big effort Sunday, catching eight balls for 108 yards and a score. On the season he has 18 receptions for 285 yards.
Not only are the Jets undefeated, but they have played against some of the best teams in the league. They shut down a potent Houston Texans offense in week 1, then stifled Tom Brady and the Patriots in week two and they took care of the Titans Sunday. Now the Titans are 0-3 but anyone who has watched them play can see they are a good team. It's only a matter of time before they turn it around.
Next week there is another tough matchup against the Saints. After New Orleans, they are looking at a string of five easy matchups before they face New England again (Miami, Buffalo, Miami, Oakland, Jacksonville). The hardest part of their schedule will be behind them.
Ok. This isn't really has nothing to do with why the Jets are for real but how great is it, as a Jet fan, to see Eric Mangini just turn the Browns into the laughing stock of the league? Already, many of his players are growing tired of his, wanna-be, Bill Belichick act. I think it could be one and done for Mangini.
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Star Wars Angry Birds AT-AT battle game pictures and hands-on1/15 Pocket-lint
You've played the game on your phone or tablet, but what about in real life? That's what Hasbro and Rovio are hoping you'll want to do with Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Battle game that lets you recreate the battle of Hoth over and over again without a screen in sight.
Costing £34.99, the AT-AT Attack Battle Game includes 21 blocks to create the massive AT-AT, a Lightsaber launcher, and 12 Angry Birds Star Wars figures.
Birds include Luke Skywalker (Hoth Pilot), Exclusive Luke Skywalker (Echo Base Gear), Han Solo, Rebel Trooper, R2-D2 egg, Pigs Darth Vader, AT-AT Driver, Exclusive AT-AT Commander, two Snowtroopers and two Stormtroopers.
READ: Angry Birds 8-inch Star Wars Plush - Hans Solo pictures and hands-on
As you might imagine, the idea of the game is to build the AT-AT and then task your mate to knock it down with the rebel birds.
It's really is as simple as that, and unlike previous Angry Birds battle games, this one dispenses with additional building cards.
READ: APP OF THE DAY: Angry Birds Star Wars review
That might reduce the longevity of the game, however we've yet to see that with our two test subjects - 6-year-old Emily and 5-year-old William.
The sheer size of the AT-AT and accompanying 12 figures means there is plenty of creativity to be had.
Simple, but if your kids are either Angry Birds or Star Wars fans this is unlikely to disappoint.
At internetmatters.org parents can find all the advice they will need to keep their children safe online. Designed specifically for parents, the site offers a wealth of up-to-date, unbiased information and advice about how to deal with online safety. Parents can learn about the latest issues and technologies, get great tips on how to talk about online safety with their children and get the best advice on dealing with issues and taking action. Created with experts, Internet Matters provides detailed information, but also signposts to best-in-class resources from individual expert organisations. Our goal is to ensure parents can always access the information that they need, in a format that is clear and concise.
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- Amazon's new Parent Dashboard and Discussion Cards will keep you engaged with your child's development
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- Scalextric Arc Track Day set brings the iPad control to racing


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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of MGM Resorts International (MGM) are down -3.37% to $25.25 on Tuesday as casino stocks are in decline following Macau revenue results for May.
While gaming revenue grew 9.3% for the Chinese casinos to $4.05 billion, they missed the 13% to 15% growth expected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Casinos were concerned about a loss in profit after the Chinese government seized UnionPay cards back in May, which were being used to bring money into Macau illegally. The cards are a form of mobile currency used in casinos.
Must Read: Warren Buffett's 25 Favorite Stocks
Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL as a Hold with a ratings score of C. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:
"We rate MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL (MGM) a HOLD. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance and impressive record of earnings per share growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the company has favored debt over equity in the management of its balance sheet."


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DCF deemed boy safe before he was left in vehicle
Published: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9:36 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9:36 a.m.
MIAMI — Six months before a baby boy died after being left strapped in his car seat, the Florida Department of Children and Families concluded there was no evidence his mother's drinking endangered his life.
The Miami Herald reports the agency closed the case on Catalina Marista Bruno in November following two incidents. Eleven-month-old Bryan Miguel Osceola died May 16 after being left inside his mother's SUV for hours. His body temperature reached 109 degrees.
Defense attorney Lonnie Richardson says Bruno is in crisis and should be evaluated by a psychiatrist.
In July the agency was called after the baby's father, Amos Osceola, was arrested after he "attacked" Bruno in front of the children. In November, Bruno was deemed drunk when she had an accident with the baby in tow.
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