If you're on a budget and you want to add online media features to your HDTV, the Editors' Choice Roku LT ($49.99, 4 stars) is your best budget option for a media hub. It's not the only $50 set-top box you can buy, though. Netgear's NeoTV NTV200 is also $49.99 (list) and offers some features the Roku LT lacks including access to Vudu on-demand 1080p video, but its sluggish and awkward controls keep it from meeting the standards set by the 720p, Vudu-less Roku LT.
Design The NTV200 looks like a Netgear-branded Roku box or Apple TV ($99, 4 stars). It's a 0.9-inch-thick, 4.4-inch square with the Netgear logo on the top and HDMI, Ethernet, optical audio, and power ports on the back. The remote control, on the other hand, is a different beast from Roku or Apple's remotes. It's full size, rather than a tiny slab with simple navigation buttons. It looks like a simple Blu-ray player remote, with a four-way navigation pad, full playback controls, and even four color buttons. The remote feels a little too thick with its large, rubber keys, and doesn't quite mesh with the simplicity of the NTV200's design.
Like Roku, the NTV200 relies on various channels for content accessed through the device's built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) or via an Ethernet connection. All of the usual streaming suspects are here, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and Pandora, along with social network services like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, and more specialized channels like Crunchyroll, Funny or Die, and G4. ?It doesn't have quite as many different channels as Roku offers, but Vudu on-demand and Vudu Apps support are useful advantages Roku and Apple TV lack. It also has a few games like poker and Connect Four, but it doesn't quite has the selection of the Roku 2 XS ($99, 3.5 stars) motion-controlled Angry Birds and Pac-Man Championship Edition. The interface, however, feels sluggish, and the remote control isn't very sensitive. Both navigating menus and playing games can require you to aim the remote carefully at the NTV200 and press the button hard.
Most of the minor video services, like Blip.tv, Crunchyroll, and TV Guide, use the Flingo interface, and you can queue any video from YouTube and Vimeo over the Web using the free Flingo Web service. The Flingo interface doesn't need any setup, and automatically finds the NTV200 over a network. Outside of that convenience, the Flingo system isn't very good. Category and search functions seem limited, I couldn't find any of my favorite channels on Blip.tv, and navigating Crunchyroll offered no major anime series outside of the featured episodes; I had to manually search for them.
Video Quality Unlike the Roku LT (or Roku 2 HD), the NTV200 supports full HD 1080p video. It's a boon if you have a larger screen that supports the resolution, but you can't take much advantage of it without a fast connection. I watched trailers for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance through Vudu in the service's HDX 1080p quality, and both looked very sharp. Of course, if you watch a YouTube video recorded on a low-quality webcam, the 1080p video won't make any difference. Connection speed and quality of the origin video mean much more than the peak resolution of the device, but having the possibility of?1080p for just $50 isn't a bad thing.
If you want an inexpensive way to access streaming media services on your HDTV, the Netgear NTV200 is a dirt-cheap box that can show 1080p video. Its sluggish and clunky interface keeps it from being quite as good a choice as the Roku LT. But with the LT, you're limited to 720p resolution. If you have more to spend (double, to be exact), our high-end Editors' Choice media hub, Apple TV, offers a superior user experience and feature set. Apple TV doesn't have Vudu or Hulu Plus, but it's much more flexible in letting you watch media on your home network, either networked computers or over your iPad or iPhone through Airplay.
More Media Hub and Receiver Reviews: ??? Netgear NeoTV NTV200 ??? Apple TV (2012) ??? Pure One Flow ??? Boxee Live TV ??? Hauppauge Broadway ?? more
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Buffalo, New York ? Law Of Attraction Daily Affirmations is a new application from New American Dreamer which makes changing thought patterns easier than ever imagined. Millions of people are using Law of Attraction and principles from ?The Secret? to change their lives. But changing thoughts can be easier said than done which is why Law of Attraction does not seem to work for everyone. This is where Law Of Attraction Daily Affirmations comes to help.
What is really needed to achieve results from Law of Attraction is to focus thoughts in a positive, organized and constructive way and keep repeating the process until the message is firmly implanted into subconscious. With all the negativity and uncertainty around us this is hard to do and here Law Of Attraction Daily Affirmations comes to help by giving an easy way to watch the over 80 affirmations and over 40 positive and inspiring images in their own categories.
All that is required is to sit back, relax and watch the affirmations on a regular basis and thoughts automatically begin to change. Watch the affirmation sets on attracting money, happiness, love and good health. It?s also possible to create a custom set with personalized affirmations and pictures to heighten the experience.
Features: * Over 80 affirmations in four categories, health, relationships, money and happiness * Over 40 hand picked photos to attune user into positive and receptive mood * Reminders: Law Of Attraction Daily Affirmations can be set to show a reminder to watch the affirmations same time every day * Fully customizable, users can create their own affirmation set that is just right for them * Four different backgrounds for the custom affirmations * Option to choose from our set of photos to accompany the affirmations or add personal photos from photo library to make the set fully personalized * The speed of affirmations and photos can be as fast as 3 seconds or as slow as 99 seconds for each affirmation
Device Requirements: * iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad * Requires iOS 4.3 or later * 38.4 MB
Pricing and availability: Law Of Attraction Daily Affirmations 1.1 is $2.99 (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and is available at the Apple App Store in the Lifestyle category.
New American Dreamer Law Of Attraction Daily Affirmations 1.1 Purchase and Download Screenshot 1 Screenshot 2 App Icon
New American Dreamer is a small company that offers a wide range of self improvement and healing products. It is our goal to assist people to access their own powerful abilities to improve their lives. Through high quality hypnosis and fun lifestyle apps, it is our belief that anyone and everyone can begin to effectively reaffirm, change and positively direct the course of one?s life in a very healthy and easy way. We offer products such as a menopause series for helping women successfully maneuver through menopause, improving men?s health, help to stop smoking and for weight loss, self healing, relationships, a number of Law of Attraction apps and others.
In the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama ran on a foreign policy platform of increased engagement with America's adversaries. Obama was particularly critical of the Bush administration's refusal to negotiate with Iranian leaders without preconditions. Yet aside from a "single roll of the dice" at diplomacy -- as Dr. Trita Parsi refers to it in his new book on the subject -- Obama's Iran policy bares an uncanny resemblance to that of the Bush administration's pressure-only approach. How is it that the same candidate who advocated so strongly for using diplomacy with Iran ended up being the president that has implemented the most "crippling" sanctions to date -- and who made only one inchoate effort at negotiations?
The answer lies with Obama's official Iran policy, or the 'dual track' strategy as it is known. This approach advocates pursuing two separate avenues with Iran rather than using a single-faceted approach. The first track is diplomatic engagement; the second track is the continued application of economic and political pressures. Unfortunately, this strategy has suffered from two major defects.
First and foremost, there is something fundamentally contradictory about trying to engage in diplomacy with the same people that you are simultaneously putting the screws to with increasingly harsh sanctions.
Diplomacy requires building good will and trust. However, after 30 years without diplomatic relations -- and with a continued demonization of the other side as 'mad mullahs' or 'the great Satan' -- sustained efforts to fill the trust gap have been in short supply. The continued pursuit of 'crippling sanctions' only exacerbates this problem. The idea that an onslaught of sanctions, secret assassinations and computer viruses will somehow inspire Iran to engage in good faith negotiations has no basis in the 33-year history of the Islamic Republic.
Perhaps no less important, however, is that Obama's 'dual track' approach inaccurately portrays a balance between pressure and engagement. In reality, the former has superseded the latter. Yet, pressure cannot prevent a nuclear Iran. Short of the leadership in Tehran deciding to unilaterally end the very same nuclear program they have staked their legitimacy on, pressure can only increase Iran's recalcitrance, or create leverage for negotiations. Either way, pressure alone cannot succeed.
This is true of both economic and military pressure. High-ranking generals acknowledge that a preemptive strike cannot permanently end Iran's nuclear program. Military options are a temporary stopgap measure; there is no military solution. Even if a military strike or corresponding threats could pressure Iran into making concessions on its nuclear program, a diplomatic solution would still be required to permanently end the crisis.
Additionally, those that eschew diplomacy and harbor hopes for an Arab Spring-style regime change in Iran should remember that its nuclear program enjoys wide support on the Iranian street. Even opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi supported Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program during the 2009 presidential campaign. This reveals an inconvenient truth: If the current regime in Tehran falls, the U.S. still must engage in sustained nuclear negotiations with whatever government takes its place.
Diplomacy is the only realistic solution to the nuclear crisis. The real question is: What approach is most likely to bring Iran to the negotiating table with the motivation to make concessions? For years, the pressure card has been played, and any net benefit has likely already been reaped. Thus, it's time for a change in strategy. Rather than relying solely on pressure to coerce Iran into acquiescence, we must offer real incentives -- as perceived by Iran. A notable incentive that has been hinted at by the administration -- but not sufficiently spelled out to Iranian decision-makers -- is a guarantee of Iran's right to enrich uranium to the 3.5 percent level if they allow sufficiently stringent verification measures to be put in place.
Being an election season there are political risks for the administration making such an offer, and there is no guarantee that the Iranians would accept. But like many long-standing adversarial relationships, diplomacy seems hopeless until it works. If the U.S. could make peace with nuclear-armed Maoist China that was supplying the North Vietnamese with weapons to kill American troops, there is hope for diplomacy with Iran.
Recent events warrant cautious optimism. It has been reported that Iran may provide IAEA inspectors with access to the controversial and previously off-limits Parchin site. Additionally, Iran and the P5+1 are in the final stages of an agreement to return to negotiations next month. Even Supreme Leader Khamenei publically offered moderate but rare praise to Obama for his comments about a "window for diplomacy" existing with Iran. Do these indicators point to a new desire by Iran to compromise on its nuclear program, or is this an attempt to buy time and undermine its international isolation? Given that the pressure track has been exhausted, it is time to test Iran's seriousness and give diplomacy the sustained effort that it needs in order to succeed.
Self-reflective mind -- in animals! Psychologists report on continuing advancesPublic release date: 22-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Patricia Donovan pdonovan@buffalo.edu 716-645-4602 University at Buffalo
Do animals have reflective minds able to self-regulate perception, reasoning, memory?
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- According to one of the leading scholars in the field, there is an emerging consensus among scientists that animals share functional parallels with humans' conscious metacognition -- that is, our ability to reflect on our own mental processes and guide and optimize them.
In two new contributions to this influential field of comparative psychology, David Smith, PhD, of the University at Buffalo and his fellow researchers report on continuing advances in this domain.
Smith is a professor in the Department of Psychology at UB, and a member of the university's graduate program in evolution, ecology and behavior and its Center for Cognitive Science. His co-authors on the articles are Justin J. Couchman, PhD, visiting assistant professor of psychology, State University of New York at Fredonia, and Michael J. Beran, PhD, senior research scientist, Language Research Center, Georgia State University.
In "The Highs and Lows of Theoretical Interpretation in Animal-Metacognition Research," in press at the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Smith, Couchman and Beran examine the theoretical and philosophical problems associated with the attribution of self-reflective, conscious mind to nonverbal animals.
Philosophical Transactions is a highly visible journal in the biological sciences and one of the oldest scientific journals published in English.
"The possibility of animal metacognition has become one of the research focal points in comparative psychology today," Smith says, "but, of course, this possibility poses difficult issues of scientific interpretation and inference." In this article, they evaluate the standards that science brings to making difficult interpretations about animal minds, describing how standards have been applied historically and as they perhaps should be applied. The article concludes that macaques do show uncertainty-monitoring capacities that are similar to those in humans.
The other contribution, "Animal Metacognition," will be published in March by Oxford University Press in the volume "Comparative Cognition: Experimental Explorations of Animal Intelligence." Smith says this volume will be one of the preeminent sources for scholarship in animal cognition for the next decade.
In this article, Smith and his colleagues provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the animal-metacognition literature. They describe how Smith inaugurated animal metacognition as a new field of study in 1995 with research on a bottlenosed dolphin. The dolphin assessed correctly when the experimenter's trials were too difficult for him, and adaptively declined to complete those trials.
The dolphin also showed his own distinctive set of hesitation, wavering and worrying behaviors when the trials were too difficult. In sharp contrast, when the trials were easy, he swam to the responses so fast that he would make a bow-wave around himself that would swamp Smith's delicate electronics. Smith says: "We finally had to buy condoms to protect the equipment."
Subsequently, Smith and many collaborators also explored the metacognitive capacities of joystick-trained macaques. These Old-World monkeys, native to Africa and Asia, can make specific responses to declare uncertainty about their memory. They can respond, "Uncertain," to gain hints from the experimenters of what to do on the first trial of new tasks. They can even respond, "Uncertain," when their memory has been erased by trans-cranial magnetic stimulation. Accordingly, this second article by Smith and colleagues also supports the consensus that animals share with humans a form of the self-reflective, metacognitive capacity.
"In all respects," says Smith, "their capacity for uncertainty monitoring, and for responding to uncertainty adaptively, show close correspondence to the same processes in humans.
"At present," he says, "members of South-American monkey species or New World monkeys have not shown the same robust capacities for uncertainty monitoring, a possible species difference that has intriguing implications regarding the emergence of reflective mind in monkeys, apes and humans."
###
Smith's ongoing research in this area is supported by generous grants from both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Related links:
Photo of a macaque:
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13292
UB Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior:
http://www.evolutionecologybehavior.buffalo.edu
UB Center for Cognitive Science:
http://www.cogsci.buffalo.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Self-reflective mind -- in animals! Psychologists report on continuing advancesPublic release date: 22-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Patricia Donovan pdonovan@buffalo.edu 716-645-4602 University at Buffalo
Do animals have reflective minds able to self-regulate perception, reasoning, memory?
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- According to one of the leading scholars in the field, there is an emerging consensus among scientists that animals share functional parallels with humans' conscious metacognition -- that is, our ability to reflect on our own mental processes and guide and optimize them.
In two new contributions to this influential field of comparative psychology, David Smith, PhD, of the University at Buffalo and his fellow researchers report on continuing advances in this domain.
Smith is a professor in the Department of Psychology at UB, and a member of the university's graduate program in evolution, ecology and behavior and its Center for Cognitive Science. His co-authors on the articles are Justin J. Couchman, PhD, visiting assistant professor of psychology, State University of New York at Fredonia, and Michael J. Beran, PhD, senior research scientist, Language Research Center, Georgia State University.
In "The Highs and Lows of Theoretical Interpretation in Animal-Metacognition Research," in press at the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Smith, Couchman and Beran examine the theoretical and philosophical problems associated with the attribution of self-reflective, conscious mind to nonverbal animals.
Philosophical Transactions is a highly visible journal in the biological sciences and one of the oldest scientific journals published in English.
"The possibility of animal metacognition has become one of the research focal points in comparative psychology today," Smith says, "but, of course, this possibility poses difficult issues of scientific interpretation and inference." In this article, they evaluate the standards that science brings to making difficult interpretations about animal minds, describing how standards have been applied historically and as they perhaps should be applied. The article concludes that macaques do show uncertainty-monitoring capacities that are similar to those in humans.
The other contribution, "Animal Metacognition," will be published in March by Oxford University Press in the volume "Comparative Cognition: Experimental Explorations of Animal Intelligence." Smith says this volume will be one of the preeminent sources for scholarship in animal cognition for the next decade.
In this article, Smith and his colleagues provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the animal-metacognition literature. They describe how Smith inaugurated animal metacognition as a new field of study in 1995 with research on a bottlenosed dolphin. The dolphin assessed correctly when the experimenter's trials were too difficult for him, and adaptively declined to complete those trials.
The dolphin also showed his own distinctive set of hesitation, wavering and worrying behaviors when the trials were too difficult. In sharp contrast, when the trials were easy, he swam to the responses so fast that he would make a bow-wave around himself that would swamp Smith's delicate electronics. Smith says: "We finally had to buy condoms to protect the equipment."
Subsequently, Smith and many collaborators also explored the metacognitive capacities of joystick-trained macaques. These Old-World monkeys, native to Africa and Asia, can make specific responses to declare uncertainty about their memory. They can respond, "Uncertain," to gain hints from the experimenters of what to do on the first trial of new tasks. They can even respond, "Uncertain," when their memory has been erased by trans-cranial magnetic stimulation. Accordingly, this second article by Smith and colleagues also supports the consensus that animals share with humans a form of the self-reflective, metacognitive capacity.
"In all respects," says Smith, "their capacity for uncertainty monitoring, and for responding to uncertainty adaptively, show close correspondence to the same processes in humans.
"At present," he says, "members of South-American monkey species or New World monkeys have not shown the same robust capacities for uncertainty monitoring, a possible species difference that has intriguing implications regarding the emergence of reflective mind in monkeys, apes and humans."
###
Smith's ongoing research in this area is supported by generous grants from both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Related links:
Photo of a macaque:
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13292
UB Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior:
http://www.evolutionecologybehavior.buffalo.edu
UB Center for Cognitive Science:
http://www.cogsci.buffalo.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
CHICAGO (AP) ? U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, a 10-term Illinois Republican, lost a grueling primary battle to a freshman congressman on Tuesday, as U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. easily won his Democratic nomination and an Iraq war veteran was chosen to face a tea party firebrand in November.
Manzullo and Jackson faced the toughest primary battles of their careers, and a new congressional map, which dramatically reshaped partisan territory in the state, added to the intensity.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Jackson had 71 percent of the votes, while his challenger, former one-term U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, had around 29 percent. Halvorson called Jackson to concede after the intense primary season which featured expensive public relations consultants and attack ads on both sides.
"I had to take it very seriously," Jackson told The Associated Press Tuesday night who said Halvorson made him a better candidate. "I never take an opponent lightly. She put up a very, very strong challenge."
Manzullo conceded late Tuesday to freshmen U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot who still serves in Air National Guard. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Kinzinger, had 56 percent of the vote compared with about 44 percent for Manzullo.
Their primary was also one of the most aggressive in Illinois, with both candidates trying to portray themselves as the more conservative candidate. They were forced into a runoff after a new congressional map, drawn by Democrats.
"We're not used to a Chicago-style campaign against us," Manzullo told reporters late Tuesday, referring to attack ads against him. "We're just not used to that."
But Kinzinger, who was endorsed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said that winning the nomination was a sign that Illinois voters wanted new blood in Washington. He was among five GOP congressmen elected in 2010 during a Republican surge.
"Voters want to put that faith in the new generation of conservative leaders," Kinzinger told AP late Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth won a primary contest over former Illinois deputy treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi in Chicago's suburbs and will run against outspoken Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh in November.
Voters also determined the fall match-up for the state's only open congressional seat, which is being vacated by the retirement of U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, the longest-serving Democrat in the state's U.S. House delegation. Republican lumber businessman Jason Plummer and Democratic former regional schools superintendent Brad Harriman will be on the ballot.
Democrats say they could gain as many as five new seats in Illinois come November, pushing them closer to regaining the U.S. House. But Republicans say they're poised to pick up a seat in the southern half of the state and can successfully defend challenges to the five GOP congressmen who won in 2010 during a Republican surge in Illinois.
Republicans will lose at least one congressman because the state lost a congressional seat in the remap ? from 19 to 18 ? and the incumbent matchup in north-central Illinois.
Kinzinger's old district was split in the remap, which was handled by Democrats and carved out territory in their favor. He decided to run against Manzullo, who is currently serving in the 16th Congressional District. The district is one of Illinois' most conservative pockets, curving from the Wisconsin border to the Indiana line and including farms, far flung Chicago suburbs and manufacturing communities.
No Democrats ran in the Tuesday primary, so Kinzinger will almost certainly head back to Washington.
The primary for Jackson, who first took office in 1995, was the most intense of his career. The son of the civil rights activist mounted an aggressive primary fight with Halvorson as she has made questions about his ethics central to her campaign. While he has denied any wrongdoing, the House Ethics Committee is investigating Jackson's ties to imprisoned ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
However, the issue appeared to resonate little with voters who cited his long experience in the district which extends from neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side, its south suburbs and beyond.
"Jesse Jackson Jr. has been in my community for a long time and I support him," said Oscar Dixon, 63, of Chicago. "He's like a family member... He really delivers for me."
Duckworth, an Army helicopter pilot who lost both her legs in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in 2004, focused her victory on Walsh. The tea party candidate has been in the spotlight for criticizing President Barack Obama. Duckworth called him an extreme voice for the district which is one of the most diverse on the congressional map and spans several northwest Chicago suburbs.
"I spent my entire adult life in service to this nation and I would be honored to continue that service as a member of Congress," she told supporters at her suburban victory party.
___
Sophia Tareen can be reached at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen
A well-written page-turner that is more character- than plot-driven and has a clear beginning, middle and end is what editors (and readers) want.
Book Publishing in 2012
?Not to be argumentative, but I?m not sure what editors or publishers want in today?s market. The book publishing business has changed so much since these prompts were written that I can?t begin to speculate on what editors might want from a writer. According to an article by Jeremy Greenfield, Editorial Director, Digital Book World, ?Ten Bold Predictions for Book Publishing in 2012, ?We will see more self-published best-sellers next year with an exponential rise in the number of million-selling authors.? He continues,
In November of 2011, the Kindle Million Club ? a list of authors who have sold over 1 million paid copies of their books on Amazon?s Kindle store ? swelled to 14 with the addition of David Baldacci, Amanda Hocking and Stephenie Meyer.
?This may have serious implications for traditional publishing houses,? said Dr. Windsor Holden, research director at Juniper Research and one of the authors of Juniper?s recent report on the future of the book publishing industry. ?By facilitating publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others are eroding the position of the publisher in the value chain in much the same way Apple eroded the gate-keeping role of the carriers when it introduced the app store.?
Read more at DigitalBookWorld.com: Ten Bold Predictions for Book Publishing in 2012 | Digital Book World http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2011/ten-bold-predictions-for-book-publishing-in-2012/#ixzz1iyMWRxrq
One thing I do know, however, is that a writer is not likely to get an agent unless they have a platform?a following from a previously published book, a ton of facebook fans, a brilliant public speaking career or something similar. Another thing I know is that self publishing? (especially eBooks and print-on-demand) although it?s not for everyone?has become a respectable way to circulate a first or second novel. This is especially true if you are writing for a clearly identified niche market.
After I wrote my memoir, Searching for Jane, Finding Myself, I contacted exactly one agent before deciding to take the self-publishing route. I?d read several books on self-publishing (the best information out there is by John Kremer), and believed I knew my niche market?adoption agencies and adoption professionals. I thought it would be a no-brainer. Marketing plan in hand, I launched my book with a local book signing, began speaking to local organizations, did another book signing in my home town (Toledo, Ohio) and was well on my way. When I began sending out press releases to adoption agencies without selling many books, I came to the realization that the niche I identified was the wrong one. People looking to adopt didn?t want to read a memoir about an adoptee whose life was less than perfect.? Adoptees, on the other hand and people ? especially women ? who came of age in the 1960s loved my book.? How to reach that audience?? It is estimated that there are 5 million adoptees in the United States, but it?s not like we have identifying features or run in the same social circles. ?Baby-boomers are easier to reach.? Many of us blog and post on facebook, but in spite of having a decent amount of marketing experience, setting up a blog tour or creating an Amazon bestseller seemed daunting to me.
Last summer, I took an 8-week online course on book marketing and learned exactly what to do. By then, I had Jane?s story, the book I?m writing now, crying to be free.? The point I?m trying to make is: don?t let getting published stand in the way of writing.? After going through the process once, the best advice I can give is to learn as much as you can about writing and follow it to the best of your ability. In other words, write the best story you can.? Have strong, interesting characters, i.e. people your reader will care about; put them in an interesting time and place; and provide obstacles along the path that thwart their progress or prevent them from easily attaining their goal or what they desire.
Let?s hope I can follow my own advice and at the very least give you, my blog readers, what you want.
If you have thoughts or questions about this blog post, please leave a comment on the blog or contact me directly: janfishler@gmail.com.
'This is OUR ALBUM,' the singer tweets about Believe after fans choose art that will appear on single's cover. By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber's <i>Boyfriend</i> Photo: Walmart/ Island
Justin Bieber invited his fans to get involved in helping him pick the artwork for his first Believe single, "Boyfriend," and the time has come to reveal which photo fans chose. And the pop singer is giving his fans a lot of bang for their buck for taking the time to vote in the cover-art contest.
After fans voted on Twitter for their favorite of two photos, the shot of Bieber tousling his hair (also known as #JBboyfriend1) won as the single's cover. But that doesn't mean that other shots won't also be used in one form or another.
"But it was so close that ..." Bieber tweeted. "We are still going to use #JBboyfriend2 for press and even took one of the FAN MADE submissions and have decided that ... we are going to sell an exclusive #BOYFRIEND fan single package in WALMART and the cover will be the one U the fans made!
"So here it is ... the cover of the Walmart #BOYFRIEND SINGLE COVER ... made by U the fans! thank u! This is OUR ALBUM!" he tweeted before revealing the photo, which blends #JBboyfriend1 and #JBboyfriend2, the latter of which is just a shot of him looking off into the distance.
"Boyfriend" officially drops on March 26. Believe will drop later this year. Produced by Mike Posner, the track features a bit of Bieber rapping lines like "Tell me what you like, dear/ Tell me what you don't/ I could be your Buzz Lightyear/ Fly across the globe/ You don't even need to fight, dear/ You already know/ I can make you shine bright/ Like you're laying in the snow, brrr."
The first major CyanogenMod release of the year is upon us, as the leading custom Android firmware launches the first release candidate (RC) build for version 7.2. CM release candidates are generally considered stable enough for regular use, and are intended to flush out the last remaining bugs before the final release.
In addition to the large jump in the number of supported devices, currently at 69 for the new release candidate, CM 7.2 adds bug fixes and new features. These include a few which have back-ported from Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Others, such as the T9 predictive phone dialer, are found in manufacturer ROMs but not stock Android.
CyanogenMod 7.2 is still based on Gingerbread, so the list of supported devices focuses on phones and tablets running Android 2.3.7 or older. CyanogenMod 9, the next major version, is based on Android 4.0. Early nightly builds of CM9 are available for a few devices, including the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S.
Hit the source link for the gigantic list of CM 7.2-supported phones. We've got the full changelog after the break.
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Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) in conjunction with Western Union Business Solutions announces a new foreign exchange risk management program to protect farmers against adverse foreign exchange currency movements that occurs from the time a producer signs a contract until the time he delivers product and receives payment.
The solutions offered by Western Union Business Solutions offices in Winnipeg provide an analysis of a KAP member?s foreign exchange business risk and development of a strategy to reduce the adverse effects on the farmers? bottom line due to foreign exchange movement.
In addition, Western Union Business Solutions is offering to waive their foreign exchange transaction fees for the first 3 months to allow members to see how managing foreign exchange risk helps their bottom line.
?As farmers, we are becoming more and more exposed to foreign exchange risk? said Doug Chorney, President of KAP.? ?Grain farmers have not had the same level of foreign exchange risk as other commodities like pork; however, this is changing as more and more special crops are sold into the US and the changes with the CWB may further accelerate the need on some grain operations to be more cognizant of the risks associated with foreign exchange currency movement.?
?We are very pleased to be working with KAP and bringing our expertise in managing foreign exchange risk for businesses to the farming community? says Mark Kelly, Sr. Business Development Executive for Manitoba.? ?Although the accountants translate assets and liabilities on business operations into Canadian dollars at the businesses year-end exchange rate, the reality is that currency markets never sleep, and exchange rates fluctuate by the second. Market volatility when not managed with a foreign exchange risk management program, can pose significant risks to a farmer?s bottom line. Ironically this same fluctuation, when managed through a foreign exchange program can present excellent opportunities for businesses.?
?We are offering the foreign exchange program through KAP?s Member Benefits because we see value in lowering farmers? foreign exchange risk and improving their bottom line? said Kyle Foster, Chairman of KAP?s Member Benefits Committee.
To help farmers plan this spring, Western Union Business Solutions will be hosting a webinar on how to manage foreign exchange risk for farm products on Thursday, April 12th, 2012 at 10 AM CT. KAP members can register for the webinar by going online.
For more information, KAP Members are encouraged to call 204-987-1584 or 1-877-475-2226.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? Two suicide bombers detonated cars packed with explosives in near-simultaneous attacks on heavily guarded intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus Saturday, killing at least 27 people.
There have been a string of large-scale bombings against the regime in its stronghold of Damascus that suggest a dangerous, wild-card element in the year-old anti-government revolt. The regime blamed the opposition, which denied having a role or the capabilities to carry out such a sophisticated attack. And after other similar attacks, U.S. officials suggested al-Qaida militants may be joining the fray.
The early morning explosions struck the heavily fortified air force intelligence building and the criminal security department, several miles apart in Damascus, at approximately the same time, the Interior Ministry said. Much of the facade of the intelligence building appeared to have been ripped away.
State-run news agency SANA said a third blast went off near a military bus at the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk in Damascus, killing the two suicide bombers.
"All our windows and doors are blown out," said Majed Seibiyah, 29, who lives in the area of one of the blasts. "I was sleeping when I heard a sound like an earthquake. I didn't grasp what was happening until I heard screaming in the street."
The first explosion around 7 a.m. targeted the air force intelligence building in the residential district of al-Qassaa, a predominantly Christian area. It caused destruction in a 100-meter (yard) radius, shattering windows, blowing doors off their hinges and throwing chairs and other furniture off balconies.
State TV aired gruesome images of the scene, with mangled and charred corpses, bloodstained streets and twisted steel.
It carried interviews with the wounded in hospital.
"Is this the assistance promised by Qatar and Saudi Arabia?" asked one of the injured.
The two Gulf powerhouses have been fiercely critical of the Syrian government's crackdown on dissent and have been discussing military aid to the rebels. The U.N. says well over 8,000 have died since the uprising began a year ago, inspired by Arab Spring revolts across the Middle East and North Africa.
A string of previous blasts that struck the capital, also suicide bombings, have killed dozens of people since December.
The government has blamed the explosions on the "terrorists" that it claims are behind the uprising. The opposition has denied any role, saying they believe forces loyal to the government are behind the bombings in a plot to tarnish the uprising.
But top U.S. intelligence officials also have pointed to al-Qaida in Iraq as the likely culprit behind the previous bombings, raising the possibility its fighters are infiltrating across the border to take advantage of the turmoil.
Al-Qaida's leader called for President Bashar Assad's ouster in February.
A previously unknown Islamist group calling itself Al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant claimed responsibility for the previous attacks in a video posted online, saying it carried them out "to avenge the people of Homs." Homs is an opposition stronghold in central Syria that has been hard-hit in the government crackdown.
Al-Qaida's involvement could further fuel the sectarian tensions that the uprising has already stoked. Al-Qaida's supporters are largely Sunni Muslim extremists.
Syria's military and political leadership is stacked heavily with members of the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Assad and the ruling elite belong. The Alawite leaders of Syria are closely allied with Shiite Iran.
Sunnis are the majority in the country of 22 million and make up the backbone of the opposition.
A suspected al-Qaida presence creates new obstacles for the U.S., its Western allies and Arab states trying to figure out a way to help push Assad from power. If al-Qaida does interfere, it may also rally Syrian religious minorities, fearful of Sunni radicalism, to get behind the regime.
The blasts also raised questions about how suicide car bombers were able to penetrate high-security areas in Damascus. Since the first suicide bombings struck the capital in December, the government has taken exceptional measures around state security and other government institutions and ministries, putting up thick concrete blast walls and checkpoints and guards checking drivers' IDs.
Bassma Kodmani, a Paris-based member of the opposition Syrian National Council, said she doubted the armed groups trying to bring Assad down by force, such as the rebel Free Syrian Army, have the capacity to carry out such attacks on security institutions in the capital.
"I don't think any of the opposition forces or the Free Syrian Army has the capacity to do such an operation to target these buildings because they are fortresses," she said by telephone. "They are very well guarded. There is no way anyone can penetrate them without having strong support and complicity from inside the security apparatus."
The rebel Free Syrian Army, the most powerful armed opposition force, has appealed for the international community to send weapons to help it fight the regime, but so far, no countries are heeding the call. The U.S. and others have not advocated arming the rebels, in part out of fear it would create an even more bloody and prolonged battle.
Though the Syrian uprising began as mostly peaceful protests, it has becoming increasingly militarized, pushing the country to the brink of civil war.
An Interior Ministry statement tied the latest explosions to "the recent escalation by regional and international parties, and their open calls for sending weapons to Syria."
The morning attacks caused panic on the streets. Shooting broke out soon after the blasts and sent residents and others who had gathered in the area fleeing, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.
The last major suicide bombing was on Feb. 10, when twin blasts struck security compounds in the government stronghold of Aleppo in northern Syria, killing 28 people. Damascus has seen three suicide previous bombings since December, hitting intelligence and security buildings.
The government uses the attack to reinforce its claim that this is not a popular uprising, blaming foreign extremists and gangs trying to destroy the country.
In recent weeks, Syrian forces have waged a series of heavy offensives against the main strongholds of the opposition ? Homs in the center, Idlib in the north and Daraa in the south.
The Local Coordination Committees, a key activist group, said 22 people were killed across the country Saturday, including eight in the northwestern city of Raqqa where clashes were reported between the military and army defectors, and five in Idlib.
Diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis have so far brought no result. But U.N. envoy Kofi Annan told the Security Council in a briefing Friday that he would return to Damascus even though his recent visit and talks with Assad saw no progress in attempts to cobble together negotiations.
Both Assad and much of the opposition spurned Annan's appeal for talks.
Syria told Annan in a letter obtained by the AP Saturday that it is "keen to end violence" but insists that armed opposition groups must give up their weapons first.
The Syrian response falls far short of U.S. and European demands that regime forces stop fighting first ? and even Russia's insistence that both sides stop fighting simultaneously. But it does leave open the door for talks, and Annan is sending a team to Damascus on Sunday to continue efforts on implementing his proposal.
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Actor Tyler Perry takes the stage to introduce President Barack Obama during a fundraiser at Perry's film studio Friday, March 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Actor Tyler Perry takes the stage to introduce President Barack Obama during a fundraiser at Perry's film studio Friday, March 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
President Barack Obama, left, is introduced during a fundraiser by actor Tyler Perry Friday, March 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Jerry Banks, left, the aunt of actor Tyler Perry, reacts as she has her picture taken by Nena Bright, right, with a cake depicting the White House as President Barack Obama speaks during a fundraiser at Perry's film studio Friday, March 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
President Barack Obama speaks during a fundraiser at the film studio of actor Tyler Perry Friday, March 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
ATLANTA (AP) ? No presidential candidate worth his chauffeured SUV has reached his personal zenith without this: celebrities to vouch for them. They are the glam and glitter of political campaigns, sure to turn even jaded political operatives into fawning celeb watchers.
Nobody commands the nexus of stardom and politics more than President Barack Obama. Mocked by opponents during his 2008 campaign for being a celebrity himself, he draws from a broad assortment of personalities ? Hollywood liberals, NBA stars and more.
Friday offered a case in point. Obama raised money in film producer Tyler Perry's sprawling southwest Atlanta studio at a gala event featuring a performance by pop star Cee Lo Green. Then he spoke to those in a more elite group, including Oprah Winfrey, at Perry's 30,000-square-foot French provincial mansion along the Chattahoochee River.
His just-released campaign biopic is narrated by actor Tom Hanks. On Thursday, a White House visit by Obama backer and Oscar winner George Clooney to meet with the president over conditions in Sudan drew a gaggle of press coverage.
Obama, though, has no monopoly on big names.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has campaigned with Jeff Foxworthy, the genial comedian with a repertoire of redneck jokes, convinced rocker-rapper Kid Rock to perform at a campaign rally and won supportive words from KISS lead singer Gene Simmons.
Newt Gingrich has action film star Chuck Norris in his corner. Rick Santorum has been endorsed by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, and Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, stars of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," have made campaign appearances with him. Ron Paul has an eclectic list of shout outs from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg, Oliver Stone, Juliette Lewis, Vince Vaughn, Joe Rogan, and Jesse Ventura.
Such proximity to stardom can reap big benefits for a politician. Chris Lehane, a Democratic consultant who's had his brush with the stars working for Al Gore and Bill Clinton, says personalities help alter the typical, antiseptic look of a political event.
"These celebrities, one of the reasons they are celebrities, is they have a unique ability to connect with people," he said. "You're using them as a bridge to connect with their fans and their audiences."
Or as Obama neatly summed it up, when he thanked Winfrey on Friday at Perry's home: "Just like books and skin cream, when Oprah decides she likes you, then other people like you, too."
For Obama, whose campaign so far has focused primarily on fundraising, celebrities such as Clooney, Will Smith, Magic Johnson and Antonio Banderas help attract the big-dollar givers. First lady Michelle Obama was fundraising Monday in New York with actor Robert De Niro at a TriBeCa Italian restaurant.
On Friday, Obama was on a furious fundraising pace, hitting five events in two cities in one day and raising at least $4.8 million. At day's end, Obama will have participated in 108 fundraisers since last April when he filed for re-election last April with the Federal Election Commission. During the same period in 2004, President George W. Bush had attended 54 such events, according to CBS News' Mark Knoller, the unofficial but authoritative keeper of such statistics in the White House press corps.
Last month in Los Angeles, Obama had a star-studded evening ? a performance by Grammy-winning rock band Foo Fighters for about 1,000 supporters followed by a more intimate dinner featuring Clooney and actor Jim Belushi.
Friday's activities in Atlanta are similar. Cee Lo opened for Obama at Tyler Perry Studios ? tickets ranged from $500 for general admission to $2,500 and $10,000 for VIP. Then he was off to a $35,800 per person dinner at Perry's house, where about 40 guests awaited him.
Perry, introducing Obama to a predominantly African-American audience, said seeing the presidential motorcade drive through southwest Atlanta offered "a glimpse of what destiny looks like."
To which Obama said: "There's something about America where somebody from my background can do what I'm doing and someone from Tyler's background can do what he's doing."
Republicans, in the midst of their primary contests, have turned to celebrities for validation with voters.
Norris recorded robocalls for Gingrich before last week's primaries in Alabama and Mississippi. Norris, active in Republican politics for many years, endorsed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the 2008 presidential primary.
Santorum, who has scooped up endorsements from sports figures, has also tapped into a well-known band of reality TV stars. The Duggar family has fanned out across the country during the primary season to vouch for the former Pennsylvania senator. Josh Duggar, the oldest of 19 children, made the rounds Friday at a central Missouri rally for Santorum after previously doing the same in Iowa, Oklahoma, Georgia and many places in between.
"Our family is like the epitome of conservative values," Duggar said. "People connect to us in that way."
The entire family planned to assemble Saturday in Illinois to give Santorum a push ahead of that state's primary.
Some celebrities play down their onstage personas when traveling with candidates. Last Monday, Foxworthy, the Southern comedian, skipped the jokes when he campaigned with Romney in Mobile, Ala., telling audiences he had never bothered with politics before.
But it was Romney who riffed on Foxworthy's TV quiz show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" Obama is clearly smarter than an elementary school pupil, Romney said, but "this president has done almost everything wrong."
Stars, Lehane says, are a net benefit. But they can be loose cannons; they don't always subscribe or adhere to the campaign talking points. Lehane recalls Cher attracting a group of reporters at a campaign event for Gore in the fall of 2000 where she was advocating views about the Middle East at odds with the Gore campaign ticket.
"You always have to be a little bit careful when you're dealing with a celebrity," Lehane said., "First of all, they can be unscripted. Stuff that they can say and typically do that works in their space sometimes doesn't translate when the political prism is put over it. Sometimes you end up having to disassociate yourself form other aspects of that celebrity's life."
Consider Cee Lo, the pop star who performed for 1,000 donors Friday at Tyler Perry Studios. Cee Lo has an expletive-filled hit song titled with an expletive that translates, in the cleaned up version, to "Forget You." Not exactly Obama's appeal for hope, or civility or of perseverance.
Asked about any incongruity between performer song and presidential message, White House spokesman Jay Carney said of Obama: "I know he's fan. I don't know about specific songs."
___
Associated Press writers Charles Babington, Brian Bakst, Kasie Hunt and Beth Fouhy contributed to this report.
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Public release date: 22-Mar-2012
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