Easter bunny horror stories: Resist the urge to give rabbits, ducks, chicks

Easter bunny horror stories are a post holiday tradition, say animal control officials across the US. The cute gifts ? rabbits, ducks, chicks ? suddenly get abandoned or maltreated because they were impulse buys. Pubescent bunny behavior is not cute; and the fowl mess can be a rude surprise.

By Andrew Averill,?Correspondent / March 30, 2013

Easter bunny horror stories are a post-Easter tradition in the US, say animal control and rescue officials who see an uptick in abandoned rabbits, ducklings, and chicks at Easter and advise against impulse buys. A Muscovy duck named Quasimodo watches two Pekin ducks play in a pool at The Lucky Duck Rescue & Sanctuary in Sun Valley, Calif., August 2011.

Lydia Yasuda/AP

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For Easter, when Lindsay Durfee?s sister-in-law Kelley was young and sweet and wide-eyed, her parents bought her a team of ducklings. Kelley and her family, Ms. Durfee says, lived on a lake in Orlando, Fla., populated with different species of wildlife.?

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So, shouldering a video camera to record it, young Kelley marched her Easter ducklings to the water like a drum major. But nature was ahead of her: before she and the ducks reached the edge of the lake, a large bird ? probably a heron? swooped down and made off with a duckling by its neck. The gory detail of what happened next is PG-13; but suffice to say, says Durfee, the videotape captured it and Kelley's scream.?

?It's one of those stories that comes up every year,? Durfee wrote in an e-mail to the Monitor. To this day, says Durfee, "My husband and I laugh until we cry over how appalling it is!??

Pet horror stories are a staple of the post-Easter season in the United States, day animal control and rescue officials. The Easter holiday brings out the duckling, chick, and baby bunny lovers in people. They make an impulse buy, the recipient goes wild with joy for a day, but the honeymoon soon ends and parents scramble to surrender the animals.

Animal rescue staff, traditionally inundated with calls from regretful parents immediately following Easter, are asking consumers to stop and think before buying an animal for Easter, and with good reason.

If, and it?s a big if, the animal doesn?t die from all that Easter excitement, now there?s a growing and soon-to-be mature duck, chicken (worse, a rooster), and rabbit on your hands.

A pubescent rabbit is not one to cuddle. Females are prone to running in circles, lunging, and grunting, says Anne Martin, shelter director for House Rabbit Society?s headquarters in Richmond, Calif. And if you purchased a male? ?The boys will spray urine ... all over the place,? says Ms. Martin, who owns six rabbits and adds that a mature rabbit is a fantastic pet. But they can be quite alarming for a new pet owner whose supplier did not warn them.

Suppliers are also known for selling bunnies that have been taken away from their mothers too soon, says Mary Cotter, vice president of the House Rabbit Society. ???

Ducklings and chicks have their own drawbacks, says Susie Coston director of the Farm Sanctuary shelter.

Like bunnies, ducklings and chicks are extremely fragile. If a child plays with them like a toy instead of fine china, they are likely to die from over-handling, Ms. Coston says.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/E1hxCt8V9fw/Easter-bunny-horror-stories-Resist-the-urge-to-give-rabbits-ducks-chicks

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North Korea: Nukes are our country's 'life'

North Korea said on Saturday it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea. NBC's Ian Williams reports.

By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News

One of North Korea's top decision-making bodies is setting guidelines that call nuclear weapons "the nation's life" that won't be traded even for "billions of dollars,? The Associated Press reported.

The statement Sunday came after a plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party attended by leader Kim Jong Un and other officials, the AP said.

It also followed a declaration on Saturday that it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea, the latest in a string of increasingly belligerent outbursts from the isolated state.

Sunday?s statement says nuclear weapons aren't "goods for getting U.S. dollars" or a "political bargaining chip." Outside analysts have said Pyongyang raises worries over its nuclear ambitions to spur nuclear-disarmament-for-aid talks, the AP said.

David Guttenfelder / AP

As chief Asia photographer for the Associated Press, David Guttenfelder has had unprecedented access to communist North Korea. Here's a rare look at daily life in the secretive country.

It said Pyongyang will also increase work to build up the economy. Kim has made fixing the moribund economy a focus.

On Thursday the U.S. sent two nuclear-capable bombers to South Korea, where they dropped inert munitions in a military exercise. The flight sparked an angry response from the North, which declared on Friday that it was preparing rockets aimed at American bases in South Korea and the Pacific.

Related:

Analysis: North Korea's threats predictable but Kim Jong Un is not

North Korea's Internet? For most, online access doesn't exist

PhotoBlog: Pyongyang marchers: 'Rip the puppet traitors to death!'

This story was originally published on Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:38 AM EDT

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Death toll in Tanzania building collapse rises to 17

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The death toll from the collapse of a building in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam has climbed to 17, a senior government official said on Saturday.

The building of more than 12 storeys, which had been under construction, collapsed on Friday morning near a mosque in the Kariakoo district around the city centre. Several cars were crushed by falling masonry.

Tanzania's buoyant economy has fuelled a building boom, especially in Kariakoo and the city centre. But the speed of construction has raised concerns about standards.

"I can confirm that so far 17 people have been killed and their bodies have already been recovered," Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadick told Reuters.

State television carried the same figure after conflicting reports on Friday about the death toll.

"Eighteen people survived the collapse of the building, but the search for more survivors continues," Sadick said, adding that the rescue operation had run through the night and would continue until everyone was accounted for.

"There is still a lot of work to be done," he said. "There is a lot of rubble that still has to be removed."

Witnesses said they believed construction workers were inside the building when it collapsed, and up to four boys who had been playing soccer at the nearby mosque were missing.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who visited the scene on Friday, ordered authorities to take action against responsible parties. Police officials said four suspects had been arrested, including the building owner and contractor.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-tanzania-building-collapse-rises-17-082252564.html

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Business, labor close on deal for immigration bill (The Arizona Republic)

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Total Defense for Business

Whoever is in charge of IT at a small business has a lot of things to worry about with a fairly limited budget and limited time to accomplish everything. Total Defense for Business offers small businesses an integrated cloud security platform that allows the administrator to handle endpoint security and Web and email filtering from a single management console. Endpoints have to be kept up-to-date with anti-malware tools, email threats need to be filtered out before the messages reach the user's inbox, and malicious?or inappropriate?sites need to be blocked. Total Defense for Business offers a fairly robust policy framework to handle all three different tasks to make the administrator's daily to-do-list easier to manage.

Total Defense for Business is a feature-packed cloud security platform where all the elements are tightly integrated. Total Defense offers anti-malware protection for endpoints, Web and email, such as detecting and removing malware on the endpoint, scanning emails and taking action when malware is detected, and blocking websites attempting to download malware. A robust rules engine allows administrators to create filtering policies and define granular application controls. I created email and Web policies to restrict file downloads, control what files could be uploaded or emailed (for data leak prevention), and prevent users from accessing certain sites and applications which violate corporate policy.

At first glance, Total Defense for Business reminded me a lot of GFI Cloud, a cloud security platform from GFI Software. GFI Cloud also provides antivirus protection (delivered via the company's VIPRE Antivirus engine)?for the endpoint, but its focus is primarily network management, not security. GFI Cloud offers asset management, health monitoring, and remote support. Total Defense for Business is focused on keeping emails clean, blocking malicious websites, and protecting the endpoint and is essentially a cloud-based unified threat management appliance. I use Sophos UTM as a virtual appliance, and Total Defense for Business felt very similar, except without having to source a server capable of running the virtual machine image.

Getting Started
Small businesses are beginning to realize that cloud security services are cheaper and often easier to manage than on-premise hardware and software. Getting started with Total Defense is pretty simple, as all you really need is the domain's MX record and information about the Web proxy in order to direct all email and Web traffic through Total Defense's servers. There is no hardware to deploy or software to configure.?

I received the login credentials for my Total Defense account over email. Logging in, I saw the interface, with tabs for Dashboard, Filter Management, Quarantine, Archive, and Reports. Since this was my first time logging in, I was automatically directed to Filter Management where I could turn on Web and Email filtering. There are a lot of features packed into the platform, and Total Defense does a pretty good job of peppering the screens with relevant help text and links to the User Guide.

Total Defense for Business supports Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. There doesn't seem to be a way yet to apply the security policies to users on smartphones and tablets, just yet.

Total Defense sells through the channel, so businesses need to contact their local reseller or distributor to purchase an annual subscription for Total Defense for Business. The list price is $71.50 per user per year, for full Web, Email, and Endpoint functionality. While the price may seem pretty high at first, it's worth noting that the per-user license covers multiple devices. The company also offers a 15-day free trial for anyone wanting to try out the platform first. Customers can get support over the phone or open up a support ticket online.

Web Filtering
To turn on Web filtering, Total Defense needs my public-facing IP address to recognize all the traffic with that IP address as being part of my network. The service can take up to 24 hours to accept and initialize the IP address, so I had to wait before configuring my Web proxy settings. I had the option to turn on user authentication with Web filtering, which means users have to log in to prove they are authorized to use the Total Defense platform.?Next: Web and Email Filtering, Endpoint Security with Total Defense

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/0Px9xGxS5is/0,2817,2417247,00.asp

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Post head-injury, Kristin Chenoweth goes on a "Family Weekend"

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tony and Emmy Award winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth is known for her perky personality ranging from roles in Broadway's "Wicked" to television's "Glee" and performing a closing number at February's Oscar ceremony with host Seth MacFarlane.

On Friday, the diminutive (4ft 11in) actress moves to the dark side in the indie movie "Family Weekend." She plays a mother so consumed by work that she ignores her own children and squabbles with her husband, until her teenage daughter kidnaps and ties up both parents in a bid to get their attention.

Chenoweth, 44, talked to Reuters about the film, her Christian faith and the serious accident last year that forced her to re-evaluate her life.

Q: What was it like being tied up for most of the duration of "Family Weekend?"

A: I am done with that tape! I was mostly in the same room and in the same position for four weeks. Lots of times I couldn't speak so I had to moan or grunt. And when I was spoken to, the tape (on my mouth) had to be ripped off. I was constantly getting waxed, I guess you could say.

Q: Are the parents the villains in the film?

A: One thing I learned is the basic good nature of people. They want to do right. This woman has a full plate and it has gone awry. It wasn't always bad. But with the pressure of being the breadwinner, she lost sight of what was truly important.

Q: Speaking of things going awry, you were cast on "The Good Wife" TV series but that all changed when a lighting rig fell on your head on the set last July.

A: It was bad. I was banged up, completely black and blue. My head was cut open, I had a skull fracture and cracked teeth. I had to get my memory going again (because) I was knocked out. My mom and dad came to stay with me and I was saying, "Why me? Why me? I was just standing there!"

My mom said: "Why not you? Life happens and you're no special or different or worse off or better off than anybody else. You're lucky to be alive and we are going to be grateful." It was a great piece of advice.

Q: Besides the physical trauma, what was the emotional damage?

A: One thing I really struggled with was having to stop and be quiet and still. That was the worst part about it. So I was like, Okay, clearly I'm supposed to be still. I've been going at it for so long, and so hard in so many different areas. Honestly, I think it was good. I can't believe I'm saying that, but it really makes you take stock of what's important.

Q: So how have you restructured you life post-accident? You still have a lot going on - voicing next year's animated film "Rio 2" and promoting a new ship that's being built for Royal Caribbean, among others things.

A: I'm being choosy with how I spend my free time. I can be very much a hermit and I'm trying not to do that anymore. I'm trying to enjoy the moments instead of going, 'Okay, I've got that behind me, what's next? I've got to do that and that and that ...' I want to enjoy it when it's happening.

Q: How does your Christian faith inform your professional and personal life?

A: Being a person of faith in show business is interesting. I've done lots of things maybe some Christians wouldn't do. But I've also said no to a lot of things that nobody knows about. It's a fine line to walk, but I have to keep true to my faith and pray and do the best I can.

I was at the History Channel (premiere) for "The Bible" miniseries and it's as important for me to go to that event as it is for me to go to a GLAAD event because I'm a gay rights activist. In some people's views, that is a direct conflict. But I don't see it as such. It's something that I've taken heat for and been praised for.

Q: You're adopted. How does that shape you?

A: Mainly that I feel a lot of love from my mom and dad who adopted me. Maybe I would have had a very different life had I not been adopted but my parents have really helped shape who I am. I do things sometimes they don't agree with, but I'm their kid and they love me. I know they feel like they won the lottery and I feel like I won the lottery. They got me and I got a home. The right home.

(Reporting By Zorianna Kit, Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/post-head-injury-kristin-chenoweth-goes-family-weekend-130305895.html

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Ex-Sen. Craig loses bid to dismiss FEC lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A federal judge refused on Thursday to dismiss a Federal Election Commission lawsuit that accuses former Sen. Larry Craig of misusing $217,000 in campaign funds for his legal defense after his arrest in a 2007 airport bathroom sex sting.

Craig had argued that the airport bathroom trip fell under his official duties as senator because he was traveling between Idaho and Washington for work, and therefore the legal fees could be paid for with campaign money.

But U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected that argument. She wrote in her ruling that the charge against Craig didn't relate "to his conduct as a legislator, but only actions undertaken in the privacy and anonymity of a restroom stall." Jackson set a scheduling conference in the case for April 26.

The Idaho Republican was arrested by an undercover police officer at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The officer said Craig tapped his feet and signaled under a stall divider that he wanted sex. Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a fine. After his arrest later became public, Craig tried unsuccessfully to reverse his conviction.

The FEC allows campaign funds to be used for legal expenses that were caused by a candidate's campaign or officeholder's duties, and determines that on a case-by-case basis. The commission sued Craig last year after concluding his legal problems had nothing to do with campaigning for federal office. The FEC is seeking an order requiring Craig to return the money to his campaign, along with fines of up to $6,500 against Craig and his campaign treasurer, Kaye O'Riordan.

"Senator Craig was arrested for, and pled guilty to, committing a criminal violation of Minnesota state law," Jackson wrote. "One does not need to be a United States congressman - or any sort of federal official - to be charged with this offense, and the arrest did not call into question his conduct as a legislator. Neither the charge nor the underlying conduct had anything to do with his performance of his official duties, so the legal expenses they generated were not incurred in connection with those duties."

In an email, Craig's lawyer, Andrew Herman, said, "We will assess the opinion and decide how to proceed after doing so."

___

Follow Fred Frommer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ffrommer

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-28-US-Craig-FEC-Lawsuit/id-f7342f293bf14a4db7d2923da972d9cd

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Even graphene has weak spots

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Graphene, the single-atom-thick form of carbon, has become famous for its extraordinary strength. But less-than-perfect sheets of the material show unexpected weakness, according to researchers at Rice University in Houston and Tsinghua University in Beijing.

The kryptonite to this Superman of materials is in the form of a seven-atom ring that inevitably occurs at the junctions of grain boundaries in graphene, where the regular array of hexagonal units is interrupted. At these points, under tension, polycrystalline graphene has about half the strength of pristine samples of the material.

Calculations by the Rice team of theoretical physicist Boris Yakobson and his colleagues in China were reported this month in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters. They could be important to materials scientists using graphene in applications where its intrinsic strength is a key feature, like composite materials and stretchable or flexible electronics.

Graphene sheets grown in a lab, often via chemical vapor deposition, are almost neverperfect arrays of hexagons, Yakobson said. Domains of graphene that start to grow on a substrate are not necessarily lined up with each other, and when these islands merge, they look like quilts, with patterns going in every direction.

The lines in polycrystalline sheets are called grain boundaries, and the atoms at these boundaries are occasionally forced to change the way they bond by the unbreakable rules of topology. Most common of the "defects" in graphene formation studied by Yakobson's group are adjacent five- and seven-atom rings that are a little weaker than the hexagons around them.

The team calculated that the particular seven-atom rings found at junctions of three islands are the weakest points, where cracks are most likely to form. These are the end points of grain boundaries between the islands and are ongoing trouble spots, the researchers found.

"In the past, people studying what happens at the grain boundary looked at it as an infinite line," Yakobson said. "It's simpler that way, computationally and conceptually, because they could just look at a single segment and have it represent the whole."

But in the real world, he said, "these lines form a network. Graphene is usually a quilt made from many pieces. I thought we should test the junctions."

They determined through molecular dynamics simulation and "good old mathematical analysis" that in a graphene quilt, the grain boundaries act like levers that amplify the tension (through a dislocation pileup) and concentrate it at the defect either where the three domains meet or where a grain boundary between two domains ends. "The details are complicated but, basically, the longer the lever, the greater the amplification on the weakest point," Yakobson said. "The force is concentrated there, and that's where it starts breaking."

"Force on these junctions starts the cracks, and they propagate like cracks in a windshield," said Vasilii Artyukhov, a postdoctoral researcher at Rice and co-author of the paper. "In metals, cracks stop eventually because they become blunt as they propagate. But in brittle materials, that doesn't happen. And graphene is a brittle material, so a crack might go a really long way."

Yakobson said that conceptually, the calculations show what metallurgists recognize as the Hall-Petch Effect, a measure of the strength of crystalline materials with similar grain boundaries. "It's one of the pillars of large-scale material mechanics," he said. "For graphene, we call this a pseudo Hall-Petch, because the effect is very similar even though the mechanism is very different.

"Any defect, of course, does something to the material," Yakobson said. "But this finding is important because you cannot avoid the effect in polycrystalline graphene. It's also ironic, because polycrystals are often considered when larger domains are needed. We show that as it gets larger, it gets weaker.

"If you need a patch of graphene for mechanical performance, you'd better go for perfect monocrystals or graphene with rather small domains that reduce the stress concentration."

Co-authors of the paper are graduate student Zhigong Song and his adviser, Zhiping Xu, an associate professor of engineering mechanics at Tsinghua. Xu is a former researcher in Yakobson's group at Rice. Yakobson is Rice's Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and professor of chemistry.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation supported the work at Rice. The National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program and Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology of China supported the work at Tsinghua.

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Journal Reference:

1. Zhigong Song, Vasilii I. Artyukhov, Boris I. Yakobson, Zhiping Xu. Pseudo Hall?Petch Strength Reduction in Polycrystalline Graphene. Nano Letters, 2013; : 130325121321001 DOI: 10.1021/nl400542n

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/xg9lzfuF17M/130328142410.htm

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Americans back preparation for extreme weather and sea-level rise

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Images told the story: lower Manhattan in darkness, coastal communities washed away, cars floating in muck. Superstorm Sandy, a harbinger of future extreme weather intensified by climate change, caught the country off guard in October.

Unprepared for the flooding and high winds that ensued, the East Coast suffered more than $70 billion in property damage and more than 100 deaths.

Will Americans prepare and invest now to minimize the impact of disasters such as Sandy, or deal with storms and rising sea levels after they occur?

A new survey commissioned by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Center for Ocean Solutions finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans want to prepare in order to minimize the damage likely to be caused by global warming-induced sea-level rise and storms.

A majority also wants people whose properties and businesses are located in hazard areas to foot the bill for this preparation, not the government. Eighty-two percent of the Americans surveyed said that people and organizations should prepare for the damage likely to be caused by sea-level rise and storms, rather than simply deal with the damage after it happens.

Among the most popular policy solutions identified in the survey are stronger building codes for new structures along the coast to minimize damage (favored by 62 percent) and preventing new buildings from being built near the coast (supported by 51 percent).

"People support preventive action," said survey director Jon Krosnick, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and professor of communication, "and few people believe these preparations will harm the economy or eliminate jobs. In fact, more people believe that preparation efforts will help the economy and create jobs around the U.S., in their state and in their town than think these efforts will harm the economy and result in fewer jobs in those areas. But people want coastal homeowners and businesses that locate in high-risk areas to pay for these measures."

The challenges posed by rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms will only intensify as more Americans build along the coasts. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report released March 25 predicts that already crowded U.S. coastlines will become home to an additional 11 million people by 2020.

Survey questions were formulated to assess participants' beliefs about climate change and gather opinions about the impact of climate change, sea-level rise and storms on communities, the economy and jobs.

The survey also gauged public support for specific coastal adaptation strategies and how to pay for them. "People are least supportive of policies that try to hold back Mother Nature," Krosnick said. "They think it makes more sense to recognize risk and reduce exposure."

Among the survey's respondents, 48 percent favor sand dune restoration and 33 percent favor efforts to maintain beaches with sand replenishment, while 37 percent support relocating structures away from the coast and 33 percent support constructing sea walls.

Eighty-two percent of the survey's respondents believe that Earth's temperature has been rising over the last 100 years. However, even a majority of those who doubt the existence of climate change favor adaptation measures (60 percent).

"The question is, how does public support for preparation translate to action?" asked Meg Caldwell, executive director of the Center for Ocean Solutions. "Our impulse is to try to move quickly to put communities back together the way they were after devastation. But that impulse often leads to doubling down on high-risk investments, such as rebuilding in areas likely to experience severe impacts. To move toward long-term resiliency for coastal communities, we need to seize opportunities to apply new thinking, new standards and long-term solutions."

Krosnick presented the survey results this morning at a policy briefing hosted by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The survey was conducted via the Internet with a nationally representative probability sample of 1,174 American adults, 18 and older, conducted by GfK Custom Research March 3-18, 2013. The survey was administrated in both English and Spanish. The survey has a margin of error of +/-4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/vifyDohQlys/130329090624.htm

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Consumer Electronics Daily News: Microsoft Campaigns for School ...

Microsoft Corp. today announced that the company has talked 10 K?12 school districts and higher-education institutions into adopting Windows 8 for more than 540,000 students and faculty to prepare students for futures in college and careers. Microsoft's expanding community of Windows 8 education adopters now includes Apollo Group,?Atlanta?Public Schools,?Barry University,?Fargo?Public Schools, Fresno Unified School District,?Jackson-Madison County School System,?Pace University, San Antonio Independent School District,?Thomas College?and Tuckahoe Common School District.

"Microsoft recognizes that in order to be prepared for future success in today's competitive global economy, students must have technology skills employers demand, plus relevant, 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, communication and collaborations abilities, problem-solving, and greater awareness of the global community," said?Margo Day, Vice President of U.S. Education, Microsoft. "Windows 8 is helping schools modernize learning by supporting new education standards, online assessments and the move to digital learning by providing a powerful platform where content can be easily consumed and created, and a connection to the cloud where collaboration opportunities can be reimagined."

In addition to improving learning experiences that are needed in the work place, Windows 8 provides students with a beautiful, modern way to consume content, and allows them the freedom to create, collaborate, produce and share across a range of devices, with flexibility for pen, mouse and keyboard inputs. It also saves schools time and money, reducing IT and ongoing maintenance costs and providing enterprise-ready security, reliability and management fundamentals.

"We chose Windows 8 because we need much more than a consumption-only device for online assessments to help prepare students for success," said?Chuck Jones, Chief of Technology at?Jackson-Madison County School System. "On another operating system, the IT and app management of 1,200 separate devices for teachers would have been too overwhelming."

To help school leaders and educators better understand how technology can be used in the classroom, Microsoft is conducting 700 Windows in the Classroom seminars across the country before the end of the school year. Those wanting to sign up for a session and to learn more about how technology can be incorporated into existing curriculum and how 1:1 device programs can help expand learning outside the traditional classroom walls should visit?http://mie.ncce.org/wic.? Schools can also register for the Partners in Learning Network (http://www.pil-network.com) to access a global network of educators sharing best practices, free software tools and tutorials, and lesson plans. Specific Windows 8 training materials can be found at?http://www.pil-network.com/pd/course/wic.

?

Source: http://www.cedailynews.com/2013/03/microsoft-campaigns-for-school-adoption-of-windows-8.html

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UCLA study finds heart failure medications highly cost-effective

Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
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Contact: Rachel Champeau
rchampeau@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2270
University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

A UCLA study shows that heart failure medications recommended by national guidelines are highly cost effective in saving lives and may also provide savings to the health care system.

Heart failure, a chronic, progressive disease, affects millions of individuals and results in considerable morbidity, the use of extensive health care resources, and substantial costs.

Currently published online, the study will also appear in the April 2 print issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers studied the incremental health and cost benefits of three common heart failure medications that are recommended by national guidelines developed by organizations like the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.

This is one of the first studies analyzing the incremental cost effectiveness of heart failure medications and taking into account the very latest information, including the lower costs of generic versions of the medications. Researchers found that the combination of these medical therapies demonstrated the greatest gains in quality-adjusted life years for heart failure patients.

"We found that use of one or more of these key medications in combination was associated with significant health gains while at the same time being cost-effective or providing a cost-savings," said the study's senior author Dr. Gregg Fonarow, UCLA's Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science and director of the AhmansonUCLA Cardiomyopathy Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Our findings demonstrate the importance of prescribing these national guideline-directed medical therapies to patients with heart failure."

The study focused on mild to moderate chronic heart failure patients who had weakening function in the heart's left ventricle and symptoms of heart failure, which occurs when the ventricle can no longer pump enough blood to the body's other organs. With the heart's diminishing function, fluid can build-up in the lungs so most patients also take a diuretic.

The team used an advanced statistical model to assess the specific incremental and cumulative health and cost benefit contributions of three medications compared with diuretics alone in the treatment of heart failure patients. The medications studied included angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, and beta blockers.

Researchers found that treatment with one or a combination of these medications was associated with lower costs and higher quality of life when compared to just receiving a diuretic alone. The greatest quality-adjusted life years gained for patients was achieved when all three guideline-directed medications were provided.

The team calculated different scenarios and found that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of adding each medication was less than $1,500 per each quality-adjusted life year for patients. In some scenarios, the medications were actually cost-saving where heart failure patients lives were prolonged at lower costs to the health care system.

The study found that up to $14,000 could be spent over a lifetime on a heart failure disease management program to improve medication adherence and still be highly cost effective.

For the study, cost-effective interventions were defined as those providing good value with a cost of less than $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year, which is the general standard, according to Fonarow. Cost-saving interventions are those that not only extend life but also actually save money to the health care system. Such interventions are not only more effective, but are less costly.

Fonarow notes that the costs of not effectively taking these key medications would be higher due to increased hospitalizations and need for other interventions.

"Given the high healthcare value provided by these medical therapies for health failure, reducing patient costs for these medications or even providing a financial incentive to promote adherence is likely to be advantageous to patients as well as the health care system," said Fonarow. "Further resources should be allocated to ensure full adherence to guideline directed medical therapies for heart failure patients to improve outcomes, provide high-value care, and minimize health care costs."

The researchers used previous clinical trials and government statistics to help calculate mortality, hospitalization rates, and health care costs used in the model.

Fonarow notes that the study offers broad insight into the cost-effectiveness of these medications and a real-world model would provide an additional perspective.

The costs used in this study were estimates of true costs and the actual costs in different health care delivery systems may vary.

###

No outside funding was used for the study. Disclosures are included in the manuscript.

Other study authors include: Gaurav Banka from the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and Paul A. Heidenreich from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.

-UCLA-

---

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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: 28-Mar-2013
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Contact: Rachel Champeau
rchampeau@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2270
University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

A UCLA study shows that heart failure medications recommended by national guidelines are highly cost effective in saving lives and may also provide savings to the health care system.

Heart failure, a chronic, progressive disease, affects millions of individuals and results in considerable morbidity, the use of extensive health care resources, and substantial costs.

Currently published online, the study will also appear in the April 2 print issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers studied the incremental health and cost benefits of three common heart failure medications that are recommended by national guidelines developed by organizations like the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.

This is one of the first studies analyzing the incremental cost effectiveness of heart failure medications and taking into account the very latest information, including the lower costs of generic versions of the medications. Researchers found that the combination of these medical therapies demonstrated the greatest gains in quality-adjusted life years for heart failure patients.

"We found that use of one or more of these key medications in combination was associated with significant health gains while at the same time being cost-effective or providing a cost-savings," said the study's senior author Dr. Gregg Fonarow, UCLA's Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science and director of the AhmansonUCLA Cardiomyopathy Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Our findings demonstrate the importance of prescribing these national guideline-directed medical therapies to patients with heart failure."

The study focused on mild to moderate chronic heart failure patients who had weakening function in the heart's left ventricle and symptoms of heart failure, which occurs when the ventricle can no longer pump enough blood to the body's other organs. With the heart's diminishing function, fluid can build-up in the lungs so most patients also take a diuretic.

The team used an advanced statistical model to assess the specific incremental and cumulative health and cost benefit contributions of three medications compared with diuretics alone in the treatment of heart failure patients. The medications studied included angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, and beta blockers.

Researchers found that treatment with one or a combination of these medications was associated with lower costs and higher quality of life when compared to just receiving a diuretic alone. The greatest quality-adjusted life years gained for patients was achieved when all three guideline-directed medications were provided.

The team calculated different scenarios and found that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of adding each medication was less than $1,500 per each quality-adjusted life year for patients. In some scenarios, the medications were actually cost-saving where heart failure patients lives were prolonged at lower costs to the health care system.

The study found that up to $14,000 could be spent over a lifetime on a heart failure disease management program to improve medication adherence and still be highly cost effective.

For the study, cost-effective interventions were defined as those providing good value with a cost of less than $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year, which is the general standard, according to Fonarow. Cost-saving interventions are those that not only extend life but also actually save money to the health care system. Such interventions are not only more effective, but are less costly.

Fonarow notes that the costs of not effectively taking these key medications would be higher due to increased hospitalizations and need for other interventions.

"Given the high healthcare value provided by these medical therapies for health failure, reducing patient costs for these medications or even providing a financial incentive to promote adherence is likely to be advantageous to patients as well as the health care system," said Fonarow. "Further resources should be allocated to ensure full adherence to guideline directed medical therapies for heart failure patients to improve outcomes, provide high-value care, and minimize health care costs."

The researchers used previous clinical trials and government statistics to help calculate mortality, hospitalization rates, and health care costs used in the model.

Fonarow notes that the study offers broad insight into the cost-effectiveness of these medications and a real-world model would provide an additional perspective.

The costs used in this study were estimates of true costs and the actual costs in different health care delivery systems may vary.

###

No outside funding was used for the study. Disclosures are included in the manuscript.

Other study authors include: Gaurav Banka from the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and Paul A. Heidenreich from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.

-UCLA-

---

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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/2013-03/uoc--usf032813.php

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Boxee TV Update Adds Vudu 3D Content And DLNA Streaming From Computers And Mobile Devices

Boxee TV has a new firmware update making its way out to its connected set-top boxes this week, which includes a number of big improvements including the addition of DLNA streaming. Spotted by GigaOM, the update also adds 3D streaming of content from Vudu, the video streaming service from Walmart, and changes to its TV guide and notification settings.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rQVV-uYA7hI/

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Reuters: Wal-Mart looking into crowd-sourcing online delivery

Walmart is considering the slightly insane sounding idea of using its in-store customers to deliver online orders to help it compete with bricks and mortar-less competitors like Amazon, according to Reuters. The big box outfit currently ships internet purchases out from just 25 of its stores, using the likes of FedEx to handle delivery, but plans to drastically increase that number going forward. In theory, customers could sign up for the chore and drop packages off to customers who are on their route home in exchange for a discount on their shopping bill. CEO Joel Anderson he could "see a path to where this is crowd-sourced," adding that "this is at the brain-storming stage, but it's possible in a year or two." Naturally, there's a gauntlet of insurance, theft, fraud and legal issues to be overcome -- along with the slightly skeevy idea of having a random stranger arrive with your packages.

Filed under: Misc

Comments

Source: Reuters

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7PFZWAb5Afo/

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InMobi Launches App Publish, An Android App Distribution Platform Covering 130+ Stores; Puts Its Metaflow Acquisition To Work

Mobile advertising network InMobi today took one more step in its bid to be a one-stop shop for developers' app marketing needs, in the process taking advantage of the massive fragmentation that exists on the Android platform. It has launched App Publish, a distribution platform specifically for Android apps, which lets developers push their free, paid, or freemium apps to many different Android app stores at once. App Publish, which is free to use, is kicking off with about 130 app stores worldwide, and it will be adding more at the rate of around one to two per week, according to Charles McLeod, director of business development for InMobi.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/llgkBXXvuho/

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Significant insights into common form of autism: Study identifies genetic connections in 15q duplication syndrome

Mar. 26, 2013 ? A new study published in the March issue of Autism Research from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Le Bonheur researchers is making the genetic connections between autism and Chromosome 15q Duplication Syndrome (Dup15q).

The Memphis researchers determined that the maternally derived or inherited duplication of the region inclusive of the UBE3A gene (also known as the Angelman/Prader-Willi syndrome locus) are sufficient to produce a phenotype on the autism spectrum in all ten maternal duplication subjects. The number of subjects was too small to determine if parental duplications do not cause autism. The team assembled the largest single cohort of interstitial 15q duplication subjects for phenotype/genotype analysis of the autism component of the syndrome.

Chromosome 15q Duplication Syndrome (Dup15q) results from duplications of chromosome 15q11-q13. Duplications that are maternal in origin often result in developmental problems. The larger 15q duplication syndrome, which includes individuals with idic15, manifests itself in a wide range of developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorders; motor, cognitive and speech/language delays; and seizure disorders among others. While there is no specific treatment plan, therapies are available to address or manage symptoms.

Previous research suggests that as many as 1,000 genes may contribute to autism phenotypes, but as much as 1-3 percent of all autism spectrum disorder cases may be a result of 15q11-q13 duplication alone.

The researchers also found through EEG evaluations a pattern that looks like the type of signal you see when individuals take GABA promoting drugs (benzodiazepines). The lead researcher on this study, Lawrence T. Reiter, PhD, says this signal gives clinicians a clue about what types of anti-seizure medication may be most useful in children with 15q duplications.

Reiter says genetic testing can help families connect to resources, like the Dup15q Alliance. Reiter is an associate professor in Department of Neurology with an adjunct appointment in Pediatrics at UTHSC.

"If a pediatrician suspects autism due to hypotonia and developmental delay, I highly recommend they order an arrayCGH test. Duplication 15q is the second most common duplication in autism. The test will help families in future treatments specific to this sub-type of autism," he said.

Reiter collaborated with UTHSC and Le Bonheur Neurologist Kathryn McVicar, MD, and Geneticist Eniko K. Pivnick, MD. The study was funded by the Herbert and Mary Shainberg Neuroscience Fund. Reiter serves on the scientific advisory board for the Duplication 15q Alliance and Idic15 Canada.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Nora Urraca, Julie Cleary, Victoria Brewer, Eniko K. Pivnick, Kathryn McVicar, Ronald L. Thibert, N. Carolyn Schanen, Carmen Esmer, Dustin Lamport, Lawrence T. Reiter. The Interstitial Duplication 15q11.2-q13 Syndrome Includes Autism, Mild Facial Anomalies and a Characteristic EEG Signature. Autism Research, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/aur.1284

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/JTnAUn72PiU/130326101532.htm

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Study: Health overhaul to raise claims cost 32 pct

FILE - In this March 23, 2010 file photo, Marcelas Owens of Seattle, left, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., right, and others, look on as President Barack Obama signs the health care bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Medical claims costs _ the biggest driver of health insurance premiums _ will jump an average 32 percent for individual policies under President Barack Obama?s overhaul, according to a study by the nation?s leading group of financial risk analysts. Recently released to its members, the report from the Society of Actuaries could turn into a big headache for the Obama administration at a time when many parts of the country remain skeptical about the Affordable Care Act. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this March 23, 2010 file photo, Marcelas Owens of Seattle, left, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., right, and others, look on as President Barack Obama signs the health care bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Medical claims costs _ the biggest driver of health insurance premiums _ will jump an average 32 percent for individual policies under President Barack Obama?s overhaul, according to a study by the nation?s leading group of financial risk analysts. Recently released to its members, the report from the Society of Actuaries could turn into a big headache for the Obama administration at a time when many parts of the country remain skeptical about the Affordable Care Act. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Map shows projected change in medical claim costs by

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Insurance companies will have to pay out an average of 32 percent more for medical claims on individual health policies under President Barack Obama's overhaul, the nation's leading group of financial risk analysts has estimated.

That's likely to increase premiums for at least some Americans buying individual plans.

The report by the Society of Actuaries could turn into a big headache for the Obama administration at a time when many parts of the country remain skeptical about the Affordable Care Act.

While some states will see medical claims costs per person decline, the report concluded the overwhelming majority will see double-digit increases in their individual health insurance markets, where people purchase coverage directly from insurers.

The disparities are striking. By 2017, the estimated increase would be 62 percent for California, about 80 percent for Ohio, more than 20 percent for Florida and 67 percent for Maryland. Much of the reason for the higher claims costs is that sicker people are expected to join the pool, the report said.

The report did not make similar estimates for employer plans, the mainstay for workers and their families. That's because the primary impact of Obama's law is on people who don't have coverage through their jobs.

The administration questions the design of the study, saying it focused only on one piece of the puzzle and ignored cost relief strategies in the law such as tax credits to help people afford premiums and special payments to insurers who attract an outsize share of the sick. The study also doesn't take into account the potential price-cutting effect of competition in new state insurance markets that will go live on Oct. 1, administration officials said.

At a White House briefing on Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said some of what passes for health insurance today is so skimpy it can't be compared to the comprehensive coverage available under the law. "Some of these folks have very high catastrophic plans that don't pay for anything unless you get hit by a bus," she said. "They're really mortgage protection, not health insurance."

A prominent national expert, recently retired Medicare chief actuary Rick Foster, said the report does "a credible job" of estimating potential enrollment and costs under the law, "without trying to tilt the answers in any particular direction."

"Having said that," Foster added, "actuaries tend to be financially conservative, so the various assumptions might be more inclined to consider what might go wrong than to anticipate that everything will work beautifully." Actuaries use statistics and economic theory to make long-range cost projections for insurance and pension programs sponsored by businesses and government. The society is headquartered near Chicago.

Kristi Bohn, an actuary who worked on the study, acknowledged it did not attempt to estimate the effect of subsidies, insurer competition and other factors that could mitigate cost increases. She said the goal was to look at the underlying cost of medical care.

"Claims cost is the most important driver of health care premiums," she said.

"We don't see ourselves as a political organization," Bohn added. "We are trying to figure out what the situation at hand is."

On the plus side, the report found the law will cover more than 32 million currently uninsured Americans when fully phased in. And some states ? including New York and Massachusetts ? will see double-digit declines in costs for claims in the individual market.

Uncertainty over costs has been a major issue since the law passed three years ago, and remains so just months before a big push to cover the uninsured gets rolling Oct. 1. Middle-class households will be able to purchase subsidized private insurance in new marketplaces, while low-income people will be steered to Medicaid and other safety net programs. States are free to accept or reject a Medicaid expansion also offered under the law.

Obama has promised that the new law will bring costs down. That seems a stretch now. While the nation has been enjoying a lull in health care inflation the past few years, even some former administration advisers say a new round of cost-curbing legislation will be needed.

Bohn said the study overall presents a mixed picture.

Millions of now-uninsured people will be covered as the market for directly purchased insurance more than doubles with the help of government subsidies. The study found that market will grow to more than 25 million people. But costs will rise because spending on sicker people and other high-cost groups will overwhelm an influx of younger, healthier people into the program.

Some of the higher-cost cases will come from existing state high-risk insurance pools. Those people will now be able to get coverage in the individual insurance market, since insurance companies will no longer be able to turn them down. Other people will end up buying their own plans because their employers cancel coverage. While some of these individuals might save money for themselves, they will end up raising costs for others.

Part the reason for the wide disparities in the study is that states have different populations and insurance rules. In the relatively small number of states where insurers were already restricted from charging higher rates to older, sicker people, the cost impact is less.

"States are starting from different starting points, and they are all getting closer to one another," said Bohn.

The study also did not model the likely patchwork results from some states accepting the law's Medicaid expansion while others reject it. It presented estimates for two hypothetical scenarios in which all states either accept or reject the expansion.

Larry Levitt, an insurance expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, reviewed the report and said the actuaries need to answer more questions.

"I'd generally characterize it as providing useful background information, but I don't think it's complete enough to be treated as a projection," Levitt said. The conclusion that employers with sicker workers would drop coverage is "speculative," he said.

Another caveat: The Society of Actuaries contracted Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, to do the number-crunching that drives the report. United also owns the nation's largest health insurance company. Bohn said the study reflects the professional conclusions of the society, not Optum or its parent company.

___

AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.

Online:

Society of Actuaries __ http://www.soa.org/NewlyInsured/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-26-Health%20Overhaul%20Costs/id-71f9eb44c0d2421eaed52447477199d6

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Snow, wintry rain: Messy Monday looms for East Coast

By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News

A messy Monday was in store for millions along the East Coast, with winter weather advisories warning of a mixture of snow and rain for Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, metropolitan New York and parts of northeast New Jersey.

Snow was falling in Cape May, N.J., as of 4:30 a.m. ET Monday, with lighter snow reported in Georgetown,?Delaware, according to NBC10.com?in Philadelphia.

Some areas outside the capital Beltway were forecast to see up to six inches of snow overnight Sunday into Monday.

A winter weather advisory was in effect beginning at 6 a.m. ET for the New York metropolitan area and parts of northeast New Jersey, NBCNewYork.com reported. Snow and rain showers are expected to arrive around 7 a.m. ET Monday and continue through the late afternoon, winding down by the early evening.

In Philadelphia, rain during the morning commute was expected to change to a wintry mix of snow and rain that will last for most of the day.

"During the morning rush hour around 6 a.m. we'll see more rain to the south of us," Philadelphia?s NBC10 meteorologist Brittney Shipp said. "Some of the rain will switch over to snow during the day and continue into the evening. There will be some grassy accumulation and the possibility of slippery, untreated roads."

Most of the area inside the Beltway will likely only see a mix of rain and snow with accumulations of less than one inch, which would be more than enough to make area roads wet and slushy, NBCWashington.com reported.

However, areas north and west of the D.C. Metro area were expected to see between two and four inches of snow Sunday night, particularly in locations along and near Interstate 81. Areas west of the capital will see up to two inches of snow, with the area of Interstate 81 receiving between three and six inches. Areas farther west could receive up to eight inches of snow by Monday evening.

A winter weather advisory is currently in effect from midnight to 6 p.m. ET Monday for Frederick and?Carroll counties in Maryland and Augusta, Washington, Rockingham, Frederick, Shenandoah, Page, Warren, Nelson Green, Loudoun, and Northern Fauquier counties in Virginia.

A storm system blanketed the Midwest in snow, while thunderstorms and wind gusts slammed the South, NBC's Janel Klein reports.

This story was originally published on Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:02 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/29f426b5/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C250C174518590Esnow0Ewintry0Erain0Emessy0Emonday0Elooms0Efor0Eeast0Ecoast0Dlite/story01.htm

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DICE+ launches $99 developer kit, pre-orders for $40 consumer model start this summer

Game Technologies, the Poland-based company behind the little electronic die that is DICE+, has just announced a $99 developer edition that bundles a transparent-cased model along with its software development kit. As a reminder, the DICE+ is an inch-sized rubberized cube packed with Bluetooth, an accelerometer and a rechargeable battery, with the aim of bringing human interaction to electronic board games and beyond.

We had a look at a demo DICE+ here at the 2013 Game Developers Conference and it looks relatively unchanged from the one we saw at E3 last year. However, the microUSB port is now revealed via a sliding mechanism instead of a pull-out flap, which should result in a more balanced roll. Marketing director David Gatti also told us that the cube's internals have been revamped and simplified for more cost-effective production.

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: DICE+

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

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Jaime Ray Newman Expecting First Child

The Red Widow star and her husband, writer/director Guy Nattiv, are expecting their first child - a daughter - this summer, Newman's rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/z37zmDzNZ-c/

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2013 NFL Free Agency: Final grade for the Titans

The Titans might still have a move or two left in them, but they are done with the major moves at this point. I love that they went after it this free agency period. They were able to address most of their needs, and it will really free them up to draft whoever they want in next month's draft.

This camp is also going to be the first one in a while where there has been legitimate competition for starting spots. They have had "camp battles" the last couple of years, but they have always been more about a back-up spot or the last roster spot.

I would have really liked to see them add one of the veteran pass rushers, but it doesn't appear that is going to happen at this point.

They still get a B+ from me. They would have gotten an A if they added that pass rusher, but still a solid effort.

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Source: http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2013/3/24/4141268/2013-nfl-free-agency-grades-titans

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Is Your Nursing License Actually Holding You Back?

?Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don?t matter and those who matter don?t mind? ~Dr. Seuss (Sent via Twitter from Adam Urbanski, ?Attract Clients Like Crazy? program)

?

What? ?That?s a crazy question, if it wasn?t for your nursing license where would you be now? ?I remember that day, you know pinning?

This was AFTER my other college degree and 4 fitness certifications. Those certs have since lapsed. But the nursing license is still valid. I think I had a 20" inch waist back then...

Fast forward to the present, 2013, and I?m struggling to understand how in a program that I?m enrolled in, to market our services to doctors (legally), that I?m the only nurse in it. ?There?s ?Heart Scanners?, Fitness Professionals, Natural Hormone Therapy Coaches, Green Nutritionist Coaches, Anti-Aging/Longevity Coaches, etc. ?You get my drift. ?Where are all the ?licensed? people? ?Want to hear the craziest part of all? ? they have developed viable programs that physicians are interested in and partnering with and they?re making a living? a good living at that, for them and for the physician. ?They are ?partners?.

You would think that nurses, like you, who want to branch out and do your own thing? share your gifts and talents by making people healthier through fitness would have thought of this? working with , partnering with physicians. ?Can we be too close?

Then I started thinking? oh know not that?

Many other professions are really, technically entrepreneurs.

Doctors, CPA?s, Lawyers, Dentists, Chiropractors, even Pharmacists who own their own pharmacy, all have to bring in clients and find ways to make cash. Nurses, on the other hand, expect a job and to work for somebody. ?So unless you are like me and the other small percentage of ?not mainstream thinking? nurses, when and if you decide to try something on your own, you still play it safe and want to stay well within your credentials and what the nursing powers say.

Entrepreneurship has rules, but one of the most important ones is to take risks, express yourself and do something no one else is doing, yet solving a problem? something most nurses aren?t willing to do.

The descriptions of those in the same program that I?m in, that I described above, do just that? they take risks, stick their neck out, when knocked down, they bounce back up? they really live that Dr. Seuss quote I had at the top of this post. Is it because they don?t have a license to ?worry? about?

New Nurse Coaching Book

?Nurse coaching is not a specialty area of nursing practice. ?Nurse Coaching competencies are based in nursing theories, social and behavioral science theories and (of course) evidence-based promotion of health and well-being? excerpt from the Preamble of ?The Art & Science of Nurse Coaching, the Provider?s Guide to Coaching Scope and Competencies?, 6 nurse authors and published by the ANA.
The (of course) is mine. ?Whenever I hear the words ?evidence-based? I feel a little sick to my stomach. I understand what it means, but to the public, who gets bombarded with studies all day and night, how does it translate to solving their immediate problem, as a nurse coach? ?You can find whatever evidence you want in a study to promote your point of view, even peer-reviewed. ?There now it?s ?evidence-based?. ?I must say they did a lot of research, the book is 90 pages and pages 55-90 are all references, appendices and the index. ?That?s evidence-based for real! ?If you are a nurse coach it?s a good book to have on the shelf. ?I don?t want to bash nurse colleagues? is it too late for that? ?But after literally forcing myself to finish it in a week (Only 55 pages of writing), I said, ?no wonder nurses aren?t making any money in the markets they want to serve?. ?It was purely academia, theoretical and boring.

Most theory is, isn?t it?

Hey, nursing theory will never change and researchers need to remind us about the basis for nursing practice and in this case, nurse coaching. ?Hell, I?ve quoted Dorothea Orem?s self-care theory in my CFNC home study program. ?And I agree clients need to become experts in their own care. ?But I wonder, when I saw all the authors, all 6 of them, and then the contributors inside, all had no less than 12 initials behind their names (I?m exaggerating a little, am I just a hater?), all coming together to clarify what nurse coaching is and the art & science of it is, how many of them have striving coaching practices that they love, with ideal clients that they love, utilizing packages (not the ?old, never make real money? the dollars for hours model==> you end up dreading picking up the phone and burning out); are they leveraging their marketing and time through automation and the internet and Google, have referral systems and a simple business model that?s ?set it and forget it? and brings clients who look for them, not them chasing clients? ?These nurse authors are great at what they do. But they just can?t help me get more clients. ?They?re not trying to either, not their job.

I hope all of you buy the book and read it and take away from it what you need. Credentialing is important , especially when licenses are involved. ?But you do have a license and it?s MOST important! ?What about the RN or LPN who has training in fitness, has an awesome program that has been helping people in their community. ?There is no legal reason why this brilliant nurse can?t call themselves a fitness nurse coach, put that program together, that?s easy to understand and market it to their ideal clients and improve the lives of those people. ?If they follow the nursing process they will be successful in their program development; but not necessarily in their business/practice. ?What often happen is when they try to put all that theory into the market? they flop, they aren?t making any money. ?The learning process is really just beginning for the new fitness nurse entrepreneur.

Nurses my point is, if you don?t step up and start learning about your offer and sales and marketing and stop worrying so much about ?getting permission? or what ?others may think?, other professionals, not as medically qualified as you, are going to do it for you. They?re doing it now.

By the way I sent out an e-mail, a while ago, to most of you about this course that I?m currently taking. ?It? called, ?Your Million Dollar Customer? Roadmap to a Profitable Physician Partnership?. ?None of you signed up? ?Maybe it was the title that turned you off? ?Or maybe it was the $1,000 price tag for 6 weeks, maybe you thought you?re just not ready yet. ?Or even more unsettling, you keep telling yourself you can figure it out on your own? (every successful person I know had to get help. I shouldn?t judge you, maybe you?re different)

If not this program, which one, if any? My $1000 dollar investment was not in just a program teaching me how to market my services to doctors, but it is also in?making connections with people (for future joint ventures) who are doing what I want to be doing, working with doctors as partners. ?(You may not want to work with doctors, which is fine, but who do you want to work with?) ?I?ll also get exposure on a radio station targeted to medical practitioners, over 2,000 listen in, a free table at the annual conference and my logo on the company?s website. ?To me, that alone is worth the enrollment fee. ?I?m also getting fitness nurse consulting on the map for you. ?No one in this course ever heard of fitness nurse consulting, many of them with connections in the medical field, will now know who Minky is when the 6 weeks is over!

I know what you may be thinking? you just don?t know where to start. ?I am working with only 2 nurses, helping them become Fitness Nurse Consultants. ?It?s a 6-month journey. ?And 2 nurses are really all I can handle. ?Step by step, hand holding is a lot of work. ?But they are not disappointing me. ?Because of their inspired action, I will reward them with everything I learn as I go forward too and creating more social proof for you with my own Fitness Nurse Consulting practice.

Whatever it was that stopped you from acting then, don?t let it hold you back from your dreams. ?It?s happening all around us and if you are unhappy in your current situation and want to be your own boss, you have to step out, invest in yourself to boost your confidence and market YOUR SOLUTION to people. ?The people who are paying you don?t know what all the letters mean and it?s a marketing disaster. ?Credentials in academia (faculty) are great, in business; not so much. ?Even doctors want simple explanations and love brevity when you try to get their attention. Ask yourself, ?What is the specific result of what I do??

Credentials, titles, initials are all about you. ?Maybe except for your title, you have to step away from that for a while and come up with solutions to people?s problems that you?ve learned from all that training and market that. ? Also ask yourself, ?what do I love doing?? ??Who do I love working with??

After you state your title (still in a solution format), let people know, with passion, HOW you help solve problems of the people you serve. ?Remember what you do and what you solve is NOT for everybody. ?But the person you are talking to may know somebody, and tell them, if they understand what you do and can explain it to someone else. ?Here?s my example:

?What do you do??

?I?m a Weight Maintenance Coach and Fitness Nurse Consultant?

?What is that??

?I help busy women who have had weightloss surgery or who have lost weight, to NEVER RE-gain the weight by showing them 4 simple steps to follow?

Everyone I have said that to wants to know more. ?Everyone.

Then and only then, will the great clients, then the great income, come your way.

I know you can do it. ?Just focus on the solution you provide and go from there. Don?t let your nursing license hinder you by staying in the ?nursing box? of ?I don?t have enough credentials?, people out there need and want your guidance to get and stay healthy! ?Health professionals are getting out there, please let them be you.

P.S. Please don?t write me and ask how to become a ?Weight Maintenance Coach?. ?I made it up. ?No degree or certification that I have or have had can prepare me to help my ideal clients maintain their weight with the strategies from experience that I?ve learned over the years. ?That?s how I got the title, I gave it to myself, so people could understand what I do and to spark interest.

It?s basically what I help them to do. ? Period.

Source: http://certifiedfitnessnursing.com/2013/03/is-your-nursing-license-actually-holding-you-back/

azores emmylou harris disco inferno b.i.g 1000 words ron white ron white