HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw MFP

All but identical in most ways to the HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf MFP ($199 direct, 3.5 stars) that I reviewed well over a year ago, the HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw MFP ($249.99 direct) adds WiFi and either one or two other features (depending on how you count them) that I'll get to shortly. Beyond that, it's built around the same laser engine and offers much the same speed and output quality plus all of the same features, including an Ethernet connector. Given its higher cost, the M1217nfw isn't quite as much of a bargain as the M1212nf, but if you need WiFi along with the MFP capability, it still offers a lot for the price.

Other than WiFi, the biggest difference between the M1217nfw and M1212nf is the addition of support for Apple AirPrint for printing over the WiFi connection. The printer also adds support for HP's ePrint, which lets you print through the cloud by assigning the printer an email address and then sending a document to it. However, the M1212nf now supports ePrint also, so it's added to the M1217nfw only in the sense that it wasn't available for the M1212nf when I reviewed it.

Like the M1212nf, the M1217nfw is small enough to use as a personal printer in any size office and can also serve as a shared printer in a micro office. However, its paper handling limits it to light duty printing even by micro office standards, with a 150 sheet tray, manual duplexing only, and no additional options available.

What you get along with the light-duty printing capability is a wealth of MFP features. The M1217nfw can print and fax from as well as scan to a PC even over a network, it works as a standalone copier and fax machine, and it can send email through your PC by launching an email message on the PC and adding a scanned document as an attachment. It also offers a 35-page automatic document feeder (ADF) that complements the letter-size flatbed to scan multi-page documents as well as legal-size pages. And you can print using AirPrint, or print through the cloud.

Setup, Speed, and Output Quality
Setting up the M1217nfw is standard fare. For my tests, I connected it to a network using the Ethernet connector and ran the tests from a Windows Vista system. I timed it on our business applications suite (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing) at 11.1 effective pages per minute, which is fast for the 19 ppm engine rating and essentially tied with the M1217nfw at 11.3 ppm. (Differences of 0.2 ppm on our tests aren't significant.) It's also not much slower than the Editors' Choice Canon imageClass MF4570dn ($299 direct, 4 stars) at 12.3 ppm.

Output quality is just a touch below par across the board, with scores for text, graphics, and photos each at the bottom of a very tight range where the vast majority of mono laser MFPs fall.

For text, that translates to output that's easily good enough for most business use, as long as you don't have an unusual need for small fonts. Graphics were good enough for internal business use, but I'd hesitate to hand the output to a client or customer who I was trying to impress with a sense of my professionalism. Photo output was good enough for printing Web pages with recognizable photos. Depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, you may or may not consider it good enough for, say, a client newsletter.

One other issue you need to consider for the M1217nfw is its relatively high running cost. Based on the cartridge cost and claimed yield, the cost per page is 4.3 cents, or about 0.4 cents more than the claimed cost per page for the MF4570dn. If you print just 100 pages per week, or about 5000 pages per year, that works out to a difference of $20 per year in running costs, or about $60 in three years? enough to more than cover the $50 difference in initial price between the two printers.

More generally, the more pages you expect to print, the more likely it is that the MF1217nfw will wind up being more expensive in the long run than a printer with a higher initial cost but a lower running cost. On the other hand, if you don't expect to print many pages, the cost per page isn't much of an issue.

I'd be more enthusiastic about the HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw MFP if its running costs were lower. That said, there's still enough here to make the printer worth considering, thanks to its long list of MFP features and highly welcome conveniences like ePrint for printing through the cloud. As long as your print needs are light enough so you're not concerned about the cost per page, it's a more than reasonable choice.

More Laser Printer Reviews:

??? HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw MFP
??? Samsung ML-2545
??? Samsung SCX-4729FD
??? Samsung ML-2955ND
??? Xerox Phaser 6700/DN
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/wnftCazgajU/0,2817,2399628,00.asp

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Gingrich's baggage gives voters pause in Panhandle (AP)

PENSACOLA, Fla. ? Newt Gingrich's personal and political baggage is giving even the most hard-core Republicans pause in a conservative swath of the state.

"Not Gingrich" is how Annette Purvis says she plans to vote. "I've never liked Gingrich. Never. Never in the history of Gingrich."

She's turned off by what she calls his moral and ethical issues. He's been divorced twice, is an admitted adulterer and was the first House speaker to be reprimanded by his colleagues for ethical misconduct. All that has Purvis, a 49-year-old wife and mother from Laurel Hill near the Alabama border, looking elsewhere. "I'll probably do Romney," she adds, her hesitation apparent.

Marty Upfield, a 64-year-old retiree from Pensacola, seems equally uneasy with Gingrich. She, too, pointed to Gingrich's political record and personal background as a problem. She's considering voting for Mitt Romney, who she says isn't conservative enough, even though her political views are more in line with Gingrich's positions.

"But it is about trust," says Upfield. "I need to have a little more certainty that he's changed in some ways."

This deep reluctance to back Gingrich was voiced by many of the dozen and a half people interviewed last week in this city in the Florida Panhandle that borders the Gulf of Mexico to the south and west and Alabama to the north. Gingrich's past, it seemed, was heavily influencing decisions about who to back. Many said they were resigned to choosing Romney.

In one of the most conservative parts of the state, many of those interviewed said they see their political philosophy more in line with Gingrich ? who led the GOP revolution that took control of the House in 1994 ? than with Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who in the past has espoused more moderate positions on social issues. But many also said they're considering voting for Romney, or already did during the state's early voting period, because they fear that Gingrich's history ? both personally and professionally ? will hurt him in a general election match up against President Barack Obama.

"I really like him. He's one of the finest speakers. He's got fantastic memory and recall," said Tim Fuller of Gingrich.

But Fuller, 68, and wife Vicki, 67, didn't pick him.

"We voted for the more electable candidate," Fuller said, adding that they chose Romney ? "the lesser of two evils."

On the minds of many interviewed: Gingrich's ethics case while serving as House speaker, the $1.65 million his businesses made off Freddie Mac before he criticized the mortgage giant during his campaign, and his three marriages.

"I like him. I like his mannerisms. I just don't think I can vote for him. There's too much out there," said Bonnie Meenen, 64. Romney may get her vote because of that.

Some also were put off by Gingrich's personality.

"I think Newt's temper is too short," said David Nobles, 57, who voted for Romney. "It came down to Newt and Mitt, and Mitt just seems like more presidential material than Newt."

That Gingrich, who has emerged as the more conservative alternative to Romney, doesn't have a lock on this part of the state, regardless of his flaws, may not bode well for his prospects in other, more diverse parts of Florida ahead of Tuesday's pivotal primary. And the reluctance among some Republicans here to embrace Gingrich indicates that Romney's strategy to raise questions about Gingrich's character may be working.

Over the past week, Romney and his allies have castigated Gingrich on the campaign trail and in TV ads blanketing the state.

"While Florida families lost everything in the housing crisis, Newt Gingrich cashed in," says a Romney campaign ad airing in this state. The commercial says that Gingrich collected more than $1.6 million from "the scandal-ridden agency that helped create the crisis."

Romney's team has taken a more subtle approach in attacking Gingrich for his flawed personal life. He has been emphasizing his own 42-year marriage to the same woman, as well as his five sons and numerous grandchildren, as a way to contrast himself to Gingrich. And an outside group backing Romney has run ads mentioning Gingrich's "baggage."

A Quinnipiac University poll released Friday showed Romney leading Gingrich, 38 to 29 percent. Among voters who identify as conservative, Romney and Gingrich are in a virtual tie.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_el_pr/us_florida_panhandle_voters

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Norway court convicts two in bomb plot (Reuters)

OSLO (Reuters) ? A Norwegian of Chinese Muslim origin with alleged links to al Qaeda was convicted Monday of plotting to blow up a Danish newspaper that had printed cartoons of Islam's Prophet Mohammad, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Mikael Davud, who was accused of leading a bomb plot, had admitted he intended some day to attack Chinese interests like the Chinese embassy in Oslo but he was charged only with plotting to bomb the Danish newspaper.

Prosecutors had earlier recommended an 11-year prison sentence for Davud.

A co-defendant, Iraqi-Kurd Shawan Sadek Saeed Bujak, was also convicted and sentenced to three and a half years in prison while a third defendant, David Jakobsen, an Uzbek with Norwegian residency, was convicted on a lesser charge and sentenced to 4 months, which he has already served.

It was Norway's first terrorism case with alleged international links. Under Norwegian law a charge of planning to commit a terrorist attack requires proof of a conspiracy between two or more people.

(Reporting by Walter Gibbs; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wl_nm/us_norway_plot

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HBT: Rangers will meet with Oswalt on Monday

Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers are going to meet with Roy Oswalt on Monday. There?s no offer on the table, but there is a meeting.

This, combined with the multiple denials from the Cardinals that they were, as previously reported, close to a deal with Oswalt, could suggest that Texas is making a move. ?But then again, the Rangers met with Prince Fielder too, and see how that turned out.

So, my guess: Oswalt signs a $200 million deal with Detroit. Because that?s how this works, right?

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/29/the-rangers-are-going-to-meet-with-roy-oswalt-on-monday/related/

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US man helping in Haiti rebuilding is shot, robbed (AP)

MIAMI ? A U.S. man who helped build a trauma center in Haiti after January 2010's devastating earthquake was treated at that hospital after being critically wounded during a robbery in the capital of Port-au-Prince, his wife and doctors said Friday.

David Bompart, 50, of Columbus, Ohio, was shot Tuesday afternoon outside a bank and was in critical condition Friday at a Florida hospital. Bompart was picking up money for an orphanage building project when robbers sprayed bullets at him at close range. He was hit but able to walk to a nearby Project Medishare hospital for help, said his wife, Nicolle Bompart, 45.

The robbers stole his camera and passport, but the money for the orphanage remained safe in Bompart's pants pocket, his wife said. The suspects have not been arrested.

"I feel like this was a robbery (by) some people who were desperate to feed their families, and I choose to look at it as that's why they did it," Nicolle Bompart said.

He underwent two surgeries at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare before he was airlifted Thursday night to a Miami hospital, said spokeswoman Catherine Murphy.

Bompart was on a ventilator at the Ryder Trauma Center and had gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, said Dr. Nicholas Namias, the center's co-medial director.

"What we're dealing with now are the effects of being in shock for a long time in Haiti," Namias said.

Bompart managed Project Medishare's warehouse and logistics, said co-founder, Dr. Barth Green.

Since October, Bompart had been working on building the orphanage through the couple's own charity, Eyes Wide Open International, said his wife, who flew to Haiti after the shooting.

The couple has spent much of their time since January 2010 flying between Haiti, Florida and Ohio for their charity work and for medical care for their 14-year-old son, a Haitian boy they adopted after the earthquake. The Bomparts also have a 26-year-old daughter.

Bompart knew about the potential risks of working in Haiti's capital, which had been prone to instability and violence before the earthquake. But he was devoted to helping widows and orphans in Haiti and he felt he could rely on his training as a former United Nations employee and as a member of the military in his native Trinidad and Tobago, his wife said.

"Honestly, if he was able to tell you, he would say that he would do it all over again, if it would change someone's life or bring awareness to this situation," Nicolle Bompart said. "He would still do it, because that's the kind of guy he is."

___

Online:

For updates on Dave Bompart's progress: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/davidbompart

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_us/us_gunshot_victim_haiti

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Obama holds fundraiser with American Indians (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama, raising money for his campaign among tribal leaders, said Friday he wants American Indians to be "full partners" in the economy.

Obama met with 70 to 75 supporters from Native American tribes. Democratic officials said the fundraiser would benefit the Obama Victory Fund, a joint committee of the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Tickets started at $15,000.

Obama told participants that he has worked to include American Indians in his administration and wants Native Americans to be "full partners in our economy." The president noted that he had signed laws to improve health care for Native American tribes and pushed for better educational opportunities and more improvements to tribal economies.

"We want new businesses and new opportunities to take root on the reservations," Obama said. Attendees included Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman, and former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.

Obama raised more than $220 million for his re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee in 2011. The president returned to Washington after completing a three-day, five-state trip following his State of the Union address.

When Obama ran for president in 2008, he visited Montana's Crow Indian reservation and was adopted into the nation during a private ceremony.

Obama quipped, "If my adoptive parents were here, I know what they'd say, "Kids just grow up so fast."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_el_pr/us_obama_fundraiser

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It's a Snap: Travel photos from around the world

Submitted by Sher Williamson / UGC

Our readers have submitted some inspiring photos from around the world. This week's gallery features images from Hawaii, Scotland, Botswana and other stunning settings.

Scroll through this gorgeous set of images and vote for your favorite at the bottom.

Submitted by Harvey Barrison / UGC

Eilean Donan Island, Western Highlands of Scotland

Submitted by Anne Sanders / UGC

Davy Mountain, Warne, N.C.

Submitted by Michelle Yingling / UGC

Submitted by Siva Ramanathan / UGC

Submitted by Cherrie Warzocha / UGC

Submitted by Melissa Warde / UGC

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland

Submitted by Kelly Wallace / UGC

Baby sea lion, Galapagos Islands

Submitted by Lynn Perry / UGC

Bison, Yellowstone National Park

Submitted by Jerry Pearson / UGC

Maroon Bells, near Aspen, Colo.

Submitted by Kaushal Modi / UGC

Mount Christoffel, Curacao

Submitted by Beth Weinstein / UGC

Submitted by Nicki McManus / UGC

Delaware River near Milford, Pa.

Submitted by David Jordan / UGC

Harbor Seals in Casco Bay, Portland, Maine

Submitted by Terry Guthrie / UGC

Autumn on the Tallulah River, Ga.

Submitted by Tom Gubala / UGC

Lilac-breasted Roller, Tanzania

Submitted by Ashley Davis / UGC

Submitted by Randy Clegg / UGC

The Old Mill at Berry College, Rome, Ga.

Submitted by Cagil Baykara / UGC

Submitted by Jessica Baskett / UGC

If you have photos you'd like to share, submit them for a chance to be featured in the weekly gallery by clicking here.

You can also join our It's a Snap Facebook community and share your photos with others by clicking here.

{"contentId":"10243225","totalVotes":"1905"}

Which photo is your favorite?

The Old Mill at Berry College, Rome, Ga.	? 16.5% (315 votes)
Baby sea lion, Galapagos Islands	? 13.2% (252 votes)
Maroon Bells, near Aspen, Colo.	? 12.6% (240 votes)
Bison, Yellowstone National Park	? 11.9% (227 votes)
Lilac-breasted Roller, Tanzania	? 7.2% (137 votes)
Imperial Beach, Calif.	? 6.4% (122 votes)
Eilean Donan Island, Scotland	? 5.5% (105 votes)
Elephant, Botswana	? 4.6% (87 votes)
Kona, Hawaii	? 4.5% (86 votes)
Tallulah River, Ga.	? 3.5% (67 votes)
Dunnottar Castle, Scotland	? 2.5% (47 votes)
Harbor Seals in Casco Bay, Portland, Maine	? 2.2% (42 votes)
Mount Christoffel, Curacao	? 1.8% (35 votes)
Davy Mountain, Warne, N.C.	? 1.4% (26 votes)
Brussels, Belgium	? 1.4% (26 votes)
San Fransisco, Calif.	? 1.3% (24 votes)
Custer State Park, S.D.	? 1.1% (21 votes)
La Jolla Cove, Calif.	? 1% (20 votes)
Delaware River near Milford, Pa.	? 0.8% (15 votes)
Chameleon, Hawaii	? 0.6% (11 votes)

Source: http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/26/10243225-its-a-snap-travel-photos-from-around-the-world

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New biodiversity map of the Andes shows species in dire need of protection

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Hilary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2370
BioMed Central

This release is available in Spanish.

The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most biologically rich and rapidly changing areas of the world. A new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology has used information collected over the last 100 years by explorers and from satellite images which reveals detailed patterns of species and ecosystems that occur only in this region. Worryingly, the study also finds that many of these unique species and ecosystems are lacking vital national level protection.

Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions. This makes them an ideal indicator for measuring biodiversity.

A multinational team from the United States, Bolivia, Peru, and other countries mapped a wide range of ecosystems in Bolivia and Peru, from the wetlands of Beni savanna and the Iquitos vrzea, to the bone dry xeric habitats of inter-Andean valleys, and the cool and humid montane forests along much of the eastern Andean slope. Over 7000 individual records of endemic species locations for 115 birds, 55 mammals, 177 amphibians and 435 plants were combined with climate data (WorldClim), topography (NASA's SRTM), and vegetation (NASA's MODIS satellite sensor), resulting in species distribution maps, accurate to 1km.

Analysis of the maps showed that the highest concentration of endemic birds and mammals was along a narrow band of the Andes mountains, between 2500 and 3000m above sea level. Endemic amphibian species peaked at 1000 to 1500m and were especially concentrated in southern Peru and northern Bolivia. One of the areas that had the highest levels of 'irreplaceability' and highest number of species for birds and mammals, is an unprotected region surrounding the small World Heritage Site of Macchu Pichu (Cordillera de Vilcabamba, Peru).

Disturbingly, the authors found that a total of 226 endemic species have no national protection and about half of the ecological systems have 10% or less of their range protected. Additionally only 20% of the areas with high numbers of endemic species and 20% of the irreplaceable areas are currently protected.

Dr Jennifer Swenson, from Duke University, who led the research said, "Biodiversity in the Andes is under threat from oil and gold mining, infrastructure projects, illegal crops, and many other activities. There is already evidence of species migrating upslope to keep up with climate change in this region. Conservation across the Andes needs urgent revising and we hope that our data will help protect this incredibly unique region."

###

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[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Hilary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2370
BioMed Central

This release is available in Spanish.

The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most biologically rich and rapidly changing areas of the world. A new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology has used information collected over the last 100 years by explorers and from satellite images which reveals detailed patterns of species and ecosystems that occur only in this region. Worryingly, the study also finds that many of these unique species and ecosystems are lacking vital national level protection.

Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions. This makes them an ideal indicator for measuring biodiversity.

A multinational team from the United States, Bolivia, Peru, and other countries mapped a wide range of ecosystems in Bolivia and Peru, from the wetlands of Beni savanna and the Iquitos vrzea, to the bone dry xeric habitats of inter-Andean valleys, and the cool and humid montane forests along much of the eastern Andean slope. Over 7000 individual records of endemic species locations for 115 birds, 55 mammals, 177 amphibians and 435 plants were combined with climate data (WorldClim), topography (NASA's SRTM), and vegetation (NASA's MODIS satellite sensor), resulting in species distribution maps, accurate to 1km.

Analysis of the maps showed that the highest concentration of endemic birds and mammals was along a narrow band of the Andes mountains, between 2500 and 3000m above sea level. Endemic amphibian species peaked at 1000 to 1500m and were especially concentrated in southern Peru and northern Bolivia. One of the areas that had the highest levels of 'irreplaceability' and highest number of species for birds and mammals, is an unprotected region surrounding the small World Heritage Site of Macchu Pichu (Cordillera de Vilcabamba, Peru).

Disturbingly, the authors found that a total of 226 endemic species have no national protection and about half of the ecological systems have 10% or less of their range protected. Additionally only 20% of the areas with high numbers of endemic species and 20% of the irreplaceable areas are currently protected.

Dr Jennifer Swenson, from Duke University, who led the research said, "Biodiversity in the Andes is under threat from oil and gold mining, infrastructure projects, illegal crops, and many other activities. There is already evidence of species migrating upslope to keep up with climate change in this region. Conservation across the Andes needs urgent revising and we hope that our data will help protect this incredibly unique region."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/bc-nbm012512.php

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PFT: Irsay OK with paying Peyton $26M for nothing

AP

Though the Cleveland Plain Dealer still has not acknowledged the move on its website (other than to finally remove his name and face from the roster), Tony Grossi no longer covers the Browns as a beat writer, following the accidental publication of a private Twitter message that called Browns owner Randy Lerner? (pictured) ?pathetic? and an ?irrelevant billionaire.?

Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis tells PFT that the Browns have no comment on the situation.

There?s still no evidence that the Browns pressured the Plain Dealer to make the move.? Per a source with knowledge of the situation, however, both Lerner and president Mike Holmgren refused to accept calls from Grossi after the message was posted and deleted.? We?re also told that a meeting occurred Wednesday between Plain Dealer publisher Terry Eggar and Holmgren.

The Plain Dealer has been nearly as silent as the Browns.? Managing editor Thom Fladung called the Kiley & Booms radio show on 92.3 The Fan this morning to explain the decision, and Fladung?s explanation was less than persuasive, in our opinion.

The decision to remove Grossi from the beat was driven by this ?determining factor? articulated by Fladung:? ?Don?t do something that affects your value as a journalist or the value of your newspaper or affects the perception of your value and the perception of that newspaper?s value.?

That?s a pretty broad ? and vague ? rule.? And that?s the kind of standard that gives a news organization the ability to do pretty much whatever it wants whenever it wants, because there?s pretty much always something to which someone can point as proof of ?something that affects your value as a journalist or the value of your newspaper or affects the perception of your value and the perception of that newspaper?s value.?

Making Fladung?s ?determining factor? even more confusing is the fact that he admitted that Grossi could have deliberately expressed a strong opinion about Lerner in a column published and printed in the Plain Dealer without conseqeuence.? ?Let?s say Tony had written that Randy Lerner?s lack of involvement with the Browns and their resulting disappointing records over the years has made him irrelevant as an owner, that?s defensible,? Fladung said.? ?That?s absolutely defensible.?

What?s indefensible is the failure of the Plain Dealer to acknowledge the fact that Grossi never intended to make the statements available for public view.? He fell victim to the subtle but significant differences between a ?direct message? (which is private) and a ?reply? (which is public) on Twitter.? It was an accident.? A mistake.

Let?s go back to the days of typewriters and shorthand, and let?s say that Grossi?s editor has two boxes on his desk.? One is for article submissions and one is for proposed topics.? And let?s say that Grossi scribbled out a scathing column about Lerner as a proposed topic, but Grossi accidentally put it in the box of actual submissions for print.

That?s the low-tech version of what happened here.? Grossi accidentally put his message in the wrong box.

So when Fladung says he ?felt very strongly? that the Twitter message ?was inappropriate and unprofessional and . . . it?s not the kind of opinion a journalist covering a beat can express,? Fladung presumes that Grossi actually intended to articulate that opinion to the world.? He didn?t.? It was inadvertently blurted out, like a temporary case of Twitter Tourette?s.

Some have suggested that the Twitter blunder provided the Plain Dealer with a vehicle for addressing pre-existing concerns regarding Grossi?s overall job performance.? Undercutting that theory was Fladung?s assertion during the radio interview that Grossi is a ?very good? and ?very successful? beat writer.

I?m continuing to write about this because it?s the kind of mistake that could happen to anyone, and everyone should be entitled to the benefit of the doubt in a case like this, especially when newspapers and other media companies want their writers to engage with the audience through various new technologies and platforms.? It also just ?feels? like an unjust result, whether because the Plain Dealer is being obtuse or because the Plain Dealer is cowering to the Browns or because the Browns are remaining deliberately silent in order to secure the preferred outcome of having Grossi removed from the beat.

Regardless, we?re disappointed in the Plain Dealer, in Fladung, in the Browns, in Lerner, and in Holmgren.? And we hope that one or more of them will snap out of it and do the right thing, or at least let the rest of us know in far more convincing fashion why they believe the right thing was done.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/25/irsay-says-hes-not-upset-about-paying-peyton-26-million-for-nothing/related/

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Better Understanding, Improving Climate Communications | The ...

Goal of U. of Michigan Erb Institute/UCS Workshop

Some 100 social scientists, communications experts, and climate scientists convene at University of Michigan?s Erb Institute/Union of Concerned Scientists session to better understand, improve climate communication dialogue.

ANN ARBOR, MI. ? Here?s the formula:

Convene nearly 100 of the nation?s foremost climate change social scientists and communicators (you can call them ?practitioners? here) ?

Throw in two group dinners in a storied, albeit wintry, academic environment ?

Open with a top-name documentary film producer highlighting footage from one of the nation?s most respected climate scientists ? who also happens to be one of the field?s leading science communicators. (Hint, hint: Richard Alley and Earth: The Operator?s Manual.

Include a Friday evening public y?all-come ?Town Hall? meeting.

And, and this is important ?

Flat-out prohibit the use of Powerpoints once the opening plenary talk is finished, and limit subsequent formal presentations to only five or seven minutes each, keeping the ball rolling and the invited participants actively engaged.

There you have it. And what exactly you do have is the January 19-21 University of Michigan Erb Institute/Union of Concerned Scientists seminar on ?Increasing Public Understanding of Climate Risks and Choices: What We Can Learn from Social Science Research and Practice.?

Social Sciences: MIA (Missing in Action) from Climate Dialogue

For climate science/social science/communications wonks from across the country, it was a smorgasbord of provocative presentations and group interactions, topped off by commitments to build on the lessons learned and shared. Organized by Erb Institute Director Andrew Hoffman of the University of Michigan and UCS Climate Campaign Chief Scientist Peter C. Frumhoff, the meeting was built around the shared concern that ?

The public dialog concerning human-induced global warming/climate change has been dominated by the physical sciences in defining the problem and by economics in determining suitable policy responses. Missing from the equation are important contributions to be made by the social and psychological sciences, in part because the latter have been inadequately ?incentivized? to join the discourse.

The full-day Friday session opened with a presentation seeking to explain, at least in part, reasons for declines in public concern over climate change in the face of mounting scientific evidence. Among key factors identified: the sagging economy coupled with high unemployment; drop-offs in media coverage; unusual cold weather spells (?snowpocalypse? and ?snowmageddon?) leading to public confusion; efforts by an effective ?denial industry?; and public perceptions of controversies surrounding the hacked e-mail and mistaken melting Himalayan glaciers experiences.

A Host of Key Insights on Communications

Among key messages shared by expert presenters throughout the session, and seemingly accepted in large part by many of those in attendance:

• Climate change ?engagement? strategies and messages need to be specifically targeted to different audiences, including those across a spectrum of acceptance or denial of established climate science evidence;
• As important as the message to be delivered is the specific messenger delivering that message: An ideal message or speaker for one audience may fall flat before other audiences, notwithstanding possible similarities in the message being delivered;
• Providing climate science ?knowledge? to specific audiences is necessary, but ultimately insufficient if that audience?s emotions, values, ideology, and overall belief systems are not accounted for and addressed. In addressing an audience, speak directly to their aspirations and values, one participant advised, and avoid confounding facts and values. ?You?ll otherwise lose the battle for attention ?. The ?should? claims provide an excuse for the audience to run away.? Basing your views primarily on the much-ballyhooed ?knowledge deficit,? ?science illiteracy,? ?knowledge gap? assumptions leads only to a fool?s errand.
• Three critical steps in devising a climate communications strategy: A clear sense of ?present realities?; a clear sense of where we want to go; and a roadmap to get there.
• Avoid an attitude of ?We?re right. They?re wrong. How can we change them??
• Try to avoid the audience?s conflating a policy response, for instance ?cap-and-trade,? with the foundational scientific evidence. They can understand and support the latter while objecting to the former. ?Embed sustainability into the DNA of civilization itself,? one expert suggested, so citizens ?would almost have to make a conscious decision NOT to be sustainable.? Adopt an attitude of ?amnesty,? another suggested, for those who, for instance, have put people at high risks by building in flood plains and vulnerable areas.
• People conform to information processing consistent with their cultures, one expert social scientist said. ?Your processing is motivated to affirm the dominant view of your group; you search for affirming information, and you best remember affirming information.? Another: ?Open communications by reaffirming the listener?s worth ? come as a friend, a friendly communicator. Find connections, and tap into cultural values that speak to that audience ? People will defend their sense of self before they will change their behavior.? In a hero-oriented society, make it heroic ?to act to protect the environment,? and give people ?a reason to become heroes in a climate protection culture.? Another suggestion: ?Start with where they [the audience] are, not with where you are.?
• Consider focusing on climate change risks to motivate particular audiences to take concrete actions. The insurance example ? home owners annually buy fire insurance not because we think our home will burn down, but rather because we don?t know that it won?t ? is one example of effective risk story-telling.
• In the case of those who might be considered to be ?conspiracy theorists? (for instance, suspicious of an agenda they see as seeking to deprive rights and freedoms) providing more information may well be counterproductive: the more information provided a conspiracy theorist ? the bigger the conspiracy they perceive.
• The public at large cannot be expected to ?study? and absorb or substantially understand climate science. Instead, they will ?take their cues? from the political leaders and activists or spokespersons they most admire, whether it be an Al Gore or Bill McKibben or a Rush Limbaugh.
• Public understanding and acceptance that there is a strong consensus on climate science across the scientific community is crucial, but for now too large a segment of the public is unaware that such a consensus indeed exists.
• Constructive policy action on an issue like climate change can be driven by a majority of public opinion, and consensus does not mean ?unanimity.? The ?let me persuade you? model is flawed in addressing the general public. Better to think of the model of a jury trial: ?We don?t have to convince the opposing lawyer, but rather the jury,? one speaker emphasized.
• The public is unrealistic in thinking the scientific community can substantially reduce or eliminate legitimate uncertainty, but uncertainty (which cuts both ways) is not an excuse for inaction in the face of overwhelming evidence.
• Repetition of key points by respected messengers is crucial. For instance: Climate change is real; it?s the result of human activities this time; the scientific community agrees; and there are things that can be done to mitigate its worst impacts.
• In addressing faith communities, several speakers said that notwithstanding strong scientific evidence, an effective message can be that ?You should care because God cares.? ?God cares for those suffering from desertification,? a speaker emphasized. ?Think about it theologically ?. God will hold us accountable.? Another speaker: ?Love God and love your neighbors as yourself,? and if we love our neighbors ? defined to include future generations ? we do not pollute or foul their space.
• A positive attitude, and the very word ?solutions? can be invaluable. ?Industry loves focusing on ?solutions,?? an industry representative advised. Another approach discussed as being helpful in capturing corporate interests: engage them on notions of emerging technologies and long-term business and employment opportunities.
• A question raised: Should there be a climate social sciences ?extension service? analogous to the agricultural extension service?
• Consider the notion not of ?global warming? but rather of ?local warming.? How would your community look in a four-degrees warmer climate? What impacts on water supply, on local farming? What would be involved in adapting to it? How would it be financed? What winners, what losers? Etc.
• Just as climate scientists are not ?monolithic,? neither are social scientists. Each field has its own prestigious journals, its own institutional pressures (e.g., tenure pressures), its own culture.

A Conservative?s ?Conservative Solution? on Climate, Energy

Along with one-and-a-half days of intense information-sharing among the invitees, the Erb Institute/UCS program included a Friday evening ?town hall? open to the public. University security officials, cognizant of the fracas sometimes accompanying discussions of climate change, insisted on having uniformed campus security personnel in the crowded business school theater for the event. That proved unnecessary. View the town hall session as it was live-streamed.

Among the workshop participants addressing that town hall session, former South Carolina Republican Congressman Bob Inglis, who describes himself as staunchly politically conservative, explained how two visits to Antarctica had prompted him to abandon his climate science skepticism and accept the consensus science.

?Who here is a conservative, raise your hand,? Inglis teased in his opening remarks. ?Anyone know a conservative? Anyone seen one in a zoo??

Inglis, defeated in 2010 in the Republican primary, pointed to connections between science and religion and said he advocates a ?conservative solution? to energy and climate issues.

?End all subsidies for all fuels,? Inglis said. ?Attach all costs to all fuels. Make them accountable for all of their costs. Fix the market distortion, internalize the negative externalities. Make it so the market place can properly judge petroleum vis-?-vis other competing transportation fuels; coal-fired electricity vs. other ways of making electricity.?

Inglis, in Q&A with an audience member, acknowledged that zeroing-out all subsidies would initially hurt solar and some other energy supplies, but he said that by reflecting ?all? costs of fossil fuels, that distortion would in time be eliminated. The suggestion prompted some concerns about how ?all costs? would be defined ? would it include military costs involved, for instance, with keeping the Straits of Hormuz open to oil shipments?

Program sponsors pledged toward the end of the Saturday, January 21, session to develop ways to continue the dialogue and foster collaborations among and beyond those invited to participate in the workshop.

UCS?s Frumhoff acknowledged that the climate change challenges amount to ?a marathon and not a sprint? and said that in the end, ?none of us knows exactly how it?s all going to work? in terms of best informing the public and encouraging sustainability in the long run.

A broadcast report by Rebecca Williams of Michigan Public Radio?s ?The Environment Report? highlights some aspects of the meeting.

Source: http://www.yaleclimatemediaforum.org/2012/01/better-understanding-improving-climate-communications/

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Syria FM signals crackdown will continue (AP)

BEIRUT ? Syria's foreign minister has signaled that his country will continue its 10-month crackdown on dissent.

Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday it's the duty of the government to take any steps it sees necessary to protect against chaos.

His news conference came one day after President Bashar Assad's regime rejected an Arab-brokered plan to end the country's bloodshed.

The plan calls for a unity government within two months, which would then prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held under Arab and international supervision.

Syria has long held that a foreign conspiracy is behind the uprising.

Al-Moallem said Tuesday it was clear that some Arab countries have joined the conspiracy.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria's foreign minister says some Arab countries have joined the conspiracy against his country.

Walid al-Moallem spoke at a news conference on Tuesday, one day after President Bashar Assad's regime rejected an Arab-brokered plan to end the country's bloodshed.

The plan announced Sunday calls for a unity government within two months, which would then prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held under Arab and international supervision.

Syria has long held that a foreign conspiracy is behind the country's 10-month uprising, not peaceful protesters seeking change.

Also Tuesday, Gulf countries said they planned to pull out of the Arab League observer mission in Syria. The move was seen as yet another blow to Damascus.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria

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APNewsBreak: Obama to protect US goods globally (AP)

DAVOS, Switzerland ? President Barack Obama has adopted a new strategy declaring for the first time that the United States has a national security interest to protect the nation's economic goods against terrorists, criminals and natural disasters in all corners of the globe.

The new U.S. policy unveiled Wednesday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in Switzerland is called the "National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security," according to a White House document provided to The Associated Press.

It says potential economic threats to goods dependent on supplies from beyond U.S. borders are now a matter of national security and that the government must "resolve threats early."

And that's not just cargo shipments ? all "cyber and energy networks" also are affected.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, she called Obama's policy "a look across all of U.S. government" preparing for the worst. "When the unknown occurs, you have no time," she said.

Businesses have often sought to cut costs by farming out many parts of their operations, leaving them potentially more at risk to disruptions outside the confines of their traditional areas of management. But with the economy increasingly globalized, businesses are becoming more dependent on each other ? and more exposed to these risks.

"The global supply chain provides the food, medicine, energy and products that support our way of life," the document says.

"Many different entities are responsible for or reliant upon the functioning of the global supply chain, including regulators, law enforcement, public-sector buyers, private-sector business, and other foreign and domestic partners," it says. "The system relies upon an interconnected web of transportation infrastructure and pathways, information technology, and cyber and energy networks."

Daniel J. Brutto, president of UPS International, said more such cooperation internationally would not only address supply chain threats but also speed up trade. "Many countries want a paper chain system, an archaic system, that slows down commerce," he said. "When there are disruptions, you are penalized very strongly and I don't think the financial institutions take that into account."

The Obama administration cites as reasons for the policy the 9/11 attacks and more recent plots involving air cargo shipments filled with explosives shipped via Europe and the Middle East to the United States, according to White House documents. Other events that have led to the change, the documents say, include Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis in 2007, Iceland's volcanic eruption in 2010 and Japan's earthquake and tsunami last year.

MIT professor Yosef Sheffi, an engineer who is an expert on risk in supply chains, said many companies can't even identify all of their suppliers. He said one company that makes iPhones, for example, has about 400,000 suppliers.

Obama, in a preface to the new policy, which is effective immediately, that "the global supply chain system that supports this trade is essential to the United States' economy and security and is a critical global asset."

The policy follows in the wake of a series of major natural disasters whose effects spill beyond one nation's borders.

"We have seen that disruptions to supply chains caused by natural disasters ? earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions ? and from criminal and terrorist networks seeking to exploit the system or use it as a means of attack can adversely impact global economic growth and productivity," the president wrote.

"As a nation," he added, "we must address the challenges posed by these threats and strengthen our national and international policies accordingly."

The March tsunami in Japan, for example, was devastating for that nation's economy and temporarily disrupted the production of automobile makers and other manufacturers.

Car exports, too, declined after the recent flooding in Thailand, where many Japanese automakers have assembly lines. Iceland's volcanic eruption in 2010 paralyzed air traffic, affecting passengers and cargo around the world.

The White House "strategy" is not an executive order. But it instructs federal agencies to immediately focus on "those components of the worldwide network of transportation, postal and shipping pathways, assets, and infrastructures by which goods are moved until they reach an end consumer."

It also suggests that all U.S. trade partners should be pressed to agree to what Obama calls "information-sharing arrangements, streamlining government processes, and synchronizing standards and procedures."

The strategy has far-reaching implications. It not only would apply to all cargo goods entering the country by ship, airplane or truck ? the U.S. already inspects all of what it considers to be the highest-risk cargo ? but also could set the stage for U.S. action to strengthen the security provided in other countries.

Obama is requiring all federal agencies and departments to report back to him within a year on how their efforts are going and make "recommendations for future action developed during the outreach process" of talking with other countries.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_davos_forum_us_economic_security

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Santorum says Obama pushes doctors from Medicare

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaksat PGT Industries in North Venice, Fla., Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaksat PGT Industries in North Venice, Fla., Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, speaks at PGT Industries in North Venice, Fla., Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, arrives at PGT Industries in North Venice, Fla., Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

LADY LAKE, Fla. (AP) ? Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Monday warned Florida's seniors that the Democrats' health law would limit their access to doctors and dollars and criticized his main rivals for backing its requirement that younger Americans buy health insurance.

Santorum tried to draw a connection between Medicare and a key provision of the health care law, the so-called individual mandate, which doesn't affect older Americans because virtually all of them are already covered through the government program.

Santorum, however, argues that the health care law puts a cap on Medicare spending and that, because Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich at one time supported the idea of an individual mandate, they share the blame for the impact of the health care law on Medicare.

The former Pennsylvania senator said Republicans cannot pick a nominee who would not be able to challenge President Barack Obama aggressively on the law its opponents call "Obamacare."

"I never supported anything close to Obamacare. Sadly, that is not the case with the rest of the people in this field," Santorum told an older audience at an American Legion hall near Orlando. "Whether it's Gov. Romney with Romneycare or Speaker Gingrich and a 20-year promotion of the individual mandate."

Both candidates, he said, should be unacceptable to conservatives, especially among seniors who make up much of Florida. Some 3.3 million Floridians are over the age of 65.

Santorum centered his criticism of the health care law on a panel that is intended to keep increases in Medicare spending manageable by controlling payments to health care providers. The Independent Payment Advisory Board's unelected members would have too much power over seniors' care, he said.

The panel was designed to curb Medicare spending and its recommendations ? such as cutting Medicare rates paid to doctors ? would be binding unless Congress overrules them. Santorum called it a clever way for Obama to avoid taking responsibility for cuts.

"The effect is rationing care. It's rationing indirectly. You'll be mad at your doctor, you'll be mad at your hospital," he said. "You won't be mad at Obama, who is the real reason for your doctor or hospital not seeing you."

But the panel has yet to be set up, and Obama's health care law explicitly forbids it from rationing care, shifting costs to retirees, restricting benefits or raising the Medicare eligibility age.

It's terrible policy, Santorum said.

"The bottom line is more and more providers of health care are not taking Medicare because of the reimbursement rates," he added.

And when people do see a doctor, it is after delay, Santorum said.

"The average wait is getting longer and longer," he said. "The average wait is 29 days now."

However, a nonpartisan agency that advises Congress on Medicare policy, reports that access for seniors generally remains good, despite localized problems and concerns about appointments for primary care.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission said in a report to lawmakers last year that its most recent survey showed beneficiaries reported "similar or better access" than people age 50 to 64 with private insurance.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-23-Santorum-Medicare/id-dec757850cb34709b66d8bdf59252b69

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Supreme Court says police need warrant for GPS tracking (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that police cannot put a GPS device on a suspect's car to track his movements without a warrant, a test case that upholds basic privacy rights in the face of new surveillance technology.

The high court ruling was a defeat for the Obama administration, which had argued that a warrant was not required to use global positioning system devices to monitor a vehicle on public streets.

The justices unanimously upheld a precedent-setting ruling by a U.S. appeals court that the police must first obtain a warrant to use a GPS device for an extended period of time to covertly follow a suspect.

The high court ruled that placement of a device on a vehicle and using it to monitor the vehicle's movements was covered by U.S. constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures of evidence.

There are no precise statistics on how often police in the United States use GPS tracking in criminal investigations. But the Obama administration told the court last year it was used sparingly by federal law enforcement officials.

The American Civil Liberties Union rights group hailed the ruling as an important victory for privacy. "While this case turned on the fact that the government physically placed a GPS device on the defendant's car, the implications are much broader," Steven Shapiro of the ACLU said.

"A majority of the court acknowledged that advancing technology, like cell phone tracking, gives the government unprecedented ability to collect, store, and analyze an enormous amount of information about our private lives," he said.

SUSPECTED DRUG TRAFFICKER

The case began in 2005 when police officers went to a public parking lot in Maryland and secretly installed a GPS device on a Jeep Grand Cherokee used by a Washington, D.C. nightclub owner, Antoine Jones.

Jones was suspected of drug trafficking and the police tracked his movements for a month. The resulting evidence played a key role in his conviction for conspiring to distribute cocaine.

The appeals court had thrown out Jones's conviction and his

life-in-prison sentence, and ruled prolonged electronic monitoring of the vehicle amounted to a search.

All nine justices agreed in upholding the appeals court decision, but at least four justices would have gone even further in finding fault not only with the attachment of the device, but also with the lengthy monitoring.

In summarizing the court's majority opinion from the bench, Justice Antonin Scalia said attachment of the device by the police was a trespass and an improper intrusion of the kind that would have been considered a search when the Constitution was adopted some 220 years ago.

The administration argued that even if it were a search, it was lawful and reasonable under the Constitution. Scalia said his opinion did not decide that issue and some more difficult problems that may emerge in a future case, such as a six-month monitoring of a suspected terrorist.

Joining Scalia's opinion were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor wrote separately to say the case raised difficult questions about individual privacy expectations in a digital age, but said the case could be decided on narrower grounds over the physical intrusion in attaching the device.

LONG-TERM MONITORING

Justice Samuel Alito wrote a separate opinion that Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan joined. He wrote that he would have decided the case by holding that Jones's reasonable privacy expectations were violated by long-term monitoring of his vehicle's movements.

Alito said in recent years many new devices have emerged that track a person's movements, including video surveillance in some cities, automatic toll collection systems on roads, devices on cars that disclose their location, cell phones and other wireless devices.

"The availability and use of these and other new devices will continue to shape the average person's expectations about the privacy of his or her daily movements," he wrote.

One law professor said those four justices were clearly concerned about the potential impact of new technologies and believed extended monitoring likely required a warrant so law enforcement should "be on the safe side and get a warrant."

"This is an indication that there are justices who are recognizing that privacy norms are shifting but the fact that people's lives take place increasingly online does not mean that society has decided that there's no such thing as privacy anymore," said Joel Reidenberg, a law professor at Fordham University in New York.

The Supreme Court case is United States v. Antoine Jones, No. 10-1259.

(Reporting By James Vicini; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/us_nm/us_usa_police_gps

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Poorest smokers face toughest odds for kicking the habit

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Quitting smoking is never easy. However, when you're poor and uneducated, kicking the habit for good is doubly hard, according to a new study by a tobacco dependence researcher at The City College of New York (CCNY).

Christine Sheffer, associate medical professor at CCNY's Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, tracked smokers from different socioeconomic backgrounds after they had completed a statewide smoking cessation program in Arkansas.

Whether rich or poor, participants managed to quit at about the same rate upon completing a program of cognitive behavioral therapy, either with or without nicotine patches. But as time went on, a disparity between the groups appeared and widened.

Those with the fewest social and financial resources had the hardest time staving off cravings over the long run. "The poorer they are, the worse it gets," said Professor Sheffer, who directed the program and was an assistant professor with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences at the time.

She found that smokers on the lowest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder were 55 percent more likely than those at the upper end to start smoking again three months after treatment. By six months post-quitting, the probability of their going back to cigarettes jumped to two-and-a-half times that of the more affluent smokers. The research will be published in the March 2012 issue of the American Journal of Public Health and will appear ahead-of-print online under the journal's "First Look" section.

In their study, Professor Sheffer and her colleagues noted that overall, Americans with household incomes of $15,000 or less smoke at nearly three times the rate of those with incomes of $50,000 or greater. The consequences are bleak. "Smoking is still the greatest cause of preventable death and disease in the United States today," noted Professor Sheffer. "And it's a growing problem in developing countries."

Harder to Stay Away

Professor Sheffer suggested reasons it may be harder for some to give up tobacco forever.

Smoking relieves stress for those fighting nicotine addiction, so it is life's difficulties that often make them reach for the cigarette pack again. Unfortunately, those on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale suffer more hardships than those at the top ? in the form of financial difficulties, discrimination, and job insecurity, to name a few. And for those smokers who started as teenagers, they may have never learned other ways to manage stress, said Professor Sheffer.

For people with lower socioeconomic status (SES), it can be tougher to avoid temptation as well. "Lower SES groups, with lower paying jobs, aren't as protected by smoke-free laws," said Sheffer, so individuals who have quit can find themselves back at work and surrounded by smokers. Also fewer of them have no-smoking policies in their homes.

These factors are rarely addressed in standard treatment programs. "The evidence-based treatments that are around have been developed for middle-class patients," Professor Sheffer pointed out. "So (in therapy) we talk about middle-class problems."

Further research would help determine how the standard six sessions of therapy might be altered or augmented to help. "Our next plan is to take the results of this and other studies and apply what we learned to revise the approach, in order to better meet the needs of poor folks," she said. "Maybe there is a better arrangement, like giving 'booster sessions'. Not everybody can predict in six weeks all the stresses they will have later on down the road."

"Some people say [quitting] is the most difficult thing in their life to do," said Sheffer. "If we better prepare people with more limited resources to manage the types of stress they have in their lives, we'd get better results. "

###

City College of New York: http://www2.ccny.cuny.edu

Thanks to City College of New York for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116914/Poorest_smokers_face_toughest_odds_for_kicking_the_habit

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Use Amazon's Subscribe and Save to Automate Office Lunches [Amazon]

We've mentioned Amazon.com's Subscribe and Save program before. It's a great way to save money on items that you routinely buy, saving 15% off Amazon's normal price with free automated delivery. If you're the type of person that eats the same thing for lunch every day you may want to consider setting up a subscription sent to your office to both save money and avoid having to remember to bring your lunch to work.

Of course you're not going to get fresh produce and meats delivered this way, but there are several prepared foods eligible for the program that are a step up from ramen noodles such as:

Even if you bring sandwiches, salads, or leftovers from home you can supplement with snacks like dried fruit, nuts, protein bars, and any other type of packaged food. Many people also like to keep a stash of food at their job as they're not great at remembering to take a brown bag lunch every day. If you take public transportation to work and back every day it can be difficult to carry enough food to get your stash started. If that is the case for you why not pick out a few meal and snack items and have Amazon deliver them to your office?

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/yv_qW7qZNYQ/use-amazons-subscribe-and-save-to-automate-office-lunches

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Cloud FTP Adds Wi-Fi to Any Hard Drive

Cloud FTP is a small box containing two things: A USB port and a Wi-Fi radio. Hook up any hard drive or other USB storage device and it becomes a network-enabled wireless drive. What’s more, if you are away from a Wi-Fi network, the Cloud FTP will make one for you, so you can always [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/14jzGWe86ho/

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AP IMPACT: Health overhaul lags in states

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care.

This is the year that will make or break the health care law. States were supposed to be partners in carrying out the biggest safety net expansion since Medicare and Medicaid, and the White House claims they're making steady progress.

But an analysis by The Associated Press shows that states are moving in fits and starts. Combined with new insurance coverage estimates from the nonpartisan Urban Institute, it reveals a patchwork nation.

Such uneven progress could have real consequences.

If it continues, it will mean disparities and delays from state to state in carrying out an immense expansion of health insurance scheduled in the law for 2014. That could happen even if the Supreme Court upholds Obama's law, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

"There will be something there, but if it doesn't mesh with the state's culture and if the state is not really supporting it, that certainly won't help it succeed," said Urban Institute senior researcher Matthew Buettgens.

The 13 states that have adopted a plan are home to only 1 in 4 of the uninsured. An additional 17 states are making headway, but it's not clear all will succeed. The 20 states lagging behind account for the biggest share of the uninsured, 42 percent.

Among the lagging states are four with arguably the most to gain. Texas, Florida, Georgia and Ohio together would add more than 7 million people to the insurance rolls, according to Urban Institute estimates, reducing the annual burden of charity care by $10.7 billion.

"It's not that we want something for free, but we want something we can afford," said Vicki McCuistion of Driftwood, Texas, who works two part-time jobs and is uninsured. With the nation's highest uninsured rate, her state has made little progress.

The Obama administration says McCuistion and others in the same predicament have nothing to fear. "The fact of states moving at different rates does not create disparities for a particular state's uninsured population," said Steve Larsen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

That's because the law says that if a state isn't ready, the federal government will step in. Larsen insists the government will be ready, but it's not as easy as handing out insurance cards.

Someone has to set up health insurance exchanges, new one-stop supermarkets with online and landline capabilities for those who buy coverage individually.

A secure infrastructure must be created to verify income, legal residency and other personal information, and smooth enrollment in private insurance plans or Medicaid. Many middle-class households will be eligible for tax credits to help pay premiums for private coverage. Separate exchanges must be created for small businesses.

"It's a very heavy lift," said California's health secretary, Diana Dooley, whose state was one of the first to approve a plan. "Coverage is certainly important, but it's not the only part. It is very complex."

California has nearly 7.5 million residents without coverage, more than half of the 12.7 million uninsured in the states with a plan. An estimated 2.9 million Californians would gain coverage, according to the Urban Institute's research, funded by the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Democrats who wrote the overhaul law had hoped that most states would be willing partners, putting aside partisan differences to build the exchanges and help cover more than 30 million uninsured nationally. It's not turning out that way.

Some states, mainly those led by Democrats, are far along. Others, usually led by Republicans, have done little. Separately, about half the states are suing to overturn the law.

Time is running out for states, which must have their plans ready for a federal approval deadline of Jan. 1, 2013. Those not ready risk triggering the default requirement that Washington run their exchange.

Yet in states where Republican repudiation of the health care law has blocked exchanges, there's little incentive to advance before the Supreme Court rules. A decision is expected this summer, and many state legislatures aren't scheduled to meet past late spring.

The result if the law is upheld could be greater federal sway over health care in the states, the very outcome conservatives say they want to prevent.

"If you give states the opportunity to decide their own destiny, and some choose to ignore it for partisan reasons, they almost make the case against themselves for more federal intervention," said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

A conservative, Nelson was on the winning side of a heated argument among Democrats over who should run exchanges, the feds or the states. Liberals lost their demand for a federal exchange, insulated from state politics.

"It's pretty hard to take care of the states when they don't take care of themselves," said Nelson, who regrets that the concession he fought for has been dismissed by so many states.

The AP's analysis divided states into four broad groups: those that have adopted a plan for exchanges, those that made substantial progress, those where the outlook is unclear, and those with no significant progress. AP statehouse reporters were consulted in cases of conflicting information.

Thirteen states, plus the District of Columbia, have adopted a plan.

By contrast, in 20 states either the outlook is unclear or there has been no significant progress. Those states include more than 21 million of the 50 million uninsured Americans.

Four have made no significant progress. They are Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and New Hampshire. The last three returned planning money to the federal government. In Arkansas, Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe ran into immovable GOP opposition in the Legislature. Beebe acknowledges that the federal government will have to run the exchange, but is exploring a fallback option.

In the other 16 states, the outlook is unclear because of failure to advance legislation or paralyzing political disputes that often pit Republicans fervently trying to stop what they deride as "Obamacare" against fellow Republicans who are more pragmatic.

In Kansas, for example, Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is pushing hard for a state exchange, but Gov. Sam Brownback returned a $31 million federal grant, saying the state would not act before the Supreme Court rules. Both officials are Republicans.

"It's just presidential politics," said Praeger, discussing the situation nationally. "It's less about whether exchanges make sense and more about trying to repeal the whole law." As a result, outlook is unclear for a state with 361,000 uninsured residents.

There is a bright spot for Obama and backers of the law.

An additional 17 states have made substantial progress, although that's no guarantee of success. Last week in Wisconsin, GOP Gov. Scott Walker abruptly halted planning and announced he will return $38 million in federal money.

AP defined states making substantial progress as ones where governors or legislatures have made a significant commitment to set up exchanges. Another important factor was state acceptance of a federal exchange establishment grant.

That group accounts for just under one-third of the uninsured, about 16 million people.

It includes populous states such as New York, Illinois, North Carolina and New Jersey, which combined would add more than 3 million people to the insurance rolls.

Several are led by Republican governors, including Virginia and Indiana, which have declared their intent to establish insurance exchanges under certain conditions. Other states that have advanced under Republican governors include Arizona and New Mexico.

For uninsured people living in states that have done little, the situation is demoralizing.

Gov. Rick Perry's opposition to the law scuttled plans to advance an exchange bill in the Texas Legislature last year, when Perry was contemplating his presidential run. The Legislature doesn't meet this year, so the situation is unclear.

McCuistion and her husband, Dan, are among the nearly 6.7 million Texans who lack coverage. Dan is self-employed as the owner of a specialty tree service. Vicki works part time for two nonprofit organizations. The McCuistions have been uninsured throughout their 17-year marriage, although their three daughters now have coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program. Dan McCuistion has been nursing a bad back for years, and it only seems to get worse.

"For me it almost feels like a ticking time bomb," his wife said.

Dan McCuistion says he doesn't believe Americans have a constitutional right to health care, but he would take advantage of affordable coverage if it was offered to him. He's exasperated with Perry and other Texas politicians. "They give a lot of rhetoric toward families, but their actions don't meet up with what they are saying," he said.

Perry's office says it's principle, not lack of compassion.

"Gov. Perry believes 'Obamacare' is unconstitutional, misguided and unsustainable, and Texas, along with other states, is taking legal action to end this massive government overreach," said spokeswoman Lucy Nashed. "There are no plans to implement an exchange."

___

Online:

AP interactive: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2011/healthcare

Urban Institute estimates: http://tinyurl.com/86py8nd

Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight: http://cciio.cms.gov

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-22-US-Health-Overhaul-States/id-d24137291c1e4d1995924669a9499539

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