How will Avs fare after new additions from head coach to Jumbotron?

Here are 10 questions that will determine how well the Avalanche does in 2013-14.

1. "Will Patrick Roy really be ready to coach in the NHL?" ? I say yes, yes, a thousand times yes. He's paid his dues. He's ready for his close-up behind the bench. He's going to be very good at this.

2. "What will be the one thing that most accelerates some dark hairs to gray?" ? The defense. It won't be great. Patrick will have to spin a few plates and get the smoke and mirrors just right to make that defense adequate.

3. "Ryan O'Reilly will be a left winger. Is this the wrong decision?" ? Could be. He's been a center his whole life, but now he'll be expected to be the one who changes position for the good of the team. But with Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon already here as centers, O'Reilly was the odd-man out.

4. "If O'Reilly doesn't play well, is it a foregone conclusion he'll be traded later in the season?" ? Not necessarily. Both he and Stastny are entering their final contract years, but the Avs would retain O'Reilly's rights after this coming season ends. Not so with Stastny. He can become an unrestricted free agent. If they don't think the numbers on a future deal add up, Stastny would be prime trade bait at the deadline.

5. "Doesn't it look like either Stastny or O'Reilly will have to go at some point soon?" ? Yeah, probably.

6. "Was it more than a little alarming the other day when new goalie coach Francois Allaire was quoted as saying he thinks, after talking with him, that Semyon Varlamov wants to "flush everything out" and start over with new working concepts in goal?" ? Alarming? No, not necessarily. A

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy (John Leyba, Denver Post file)

tad worrisome? Perhaps, but overall I think it's a good thing Varlamov wants to submit to his new teacher with a mind-set of "let's try anything, if it will work." Allaire has a proven track record of turning around the careers of previous goalies, so this development could be one of the best of the summer for the Avs.

7. "Who should be captain of the Avs?" ? With no offense to Gabe Landeskog, I think Matt Duchene has emerged as the real leader of this team. Landeskog would make a great alternate captain, but there were too many things last season that hinted the young Swede was not quite ready. Exhibit A: It should have been Landeskog who went off in the locker room after a late-season, desultory loss to Calgary. Instead, it was left to J.S. Giguere to do it. Maybe Jiggy should really get the "C," except they don't allow goalies to be captains in the NHL.

8. "Is Erik Johnson training himself silly right now, looking like Clubber Lang in 'Rocky III,' ready to prove everyone he's champion material?" ? Just wonderin'.

9. "Is the new Jumbotron going to make going to the Pepsi Center a much better experience?" ? I hear it'll be semi-mind blowing.

10. "How hard will it be to get through all of August with zero hockey talk while you are on vacation?" ? Tough, very tough. But I'll figure out some way to compensate on a beach on Cape Cod very soon.

Until then ... I'll send you all a postcard.

Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360, adater@denverpost.com or twitter.com/adater

Visit denverpost.com each weekday near noontime for a serving of dish concerning Colorado's sporting landscape from a Denver Post sports writer. Care for another helping? Visit the Lunch Special archive.

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/lunchspecial/ci_23768307/how-will-avs-fare-after-new-additions-from?source=rss

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Animal Attraction: New York Ends Shark Fin Trade

Fourteen major animal welfare, environmental and conservation organizations are applauding Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signing into law A.1769b/S.1711b to end New York?s contribution to the dire collapse of shark populations worldwide. Taking effect on July 1, 2014, the law passed the state legislature under the leadership of Assemblymember Alan Maisel, D-Brooklyn and Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo bans the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins. Violations are punishable by up to 15 days in jail and $100 fine for each fish.?

New York ? one of the largest markets for shark fins outside Asia and the largest port of entry for shark fins on the East Coast ? joins seven states and all three Pacific U.S territories in passing similar laws to provide critical protection to sharks and preserve the health of the world?s ocean ecosystems.

The bipartisan state legislation is championed by Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo, and Assemblymembers Alan Maisel, D-Brooklyn, and Linda B. Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, with the sponsorship support of 75 state legislators, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, D-Queens, in addition to more than a dozen New York City Councilmembers through a resolution by Councilmember Margaret Chin, D-Lower Manhattan. It also has the support of every Chinese American legislator in the Empire State.

Assemblymember Alan Maisel, D-Brooklyn, said: ?Sharks occupy the top of the marine food chain and are a critical part of the ocean ecosystem. I am honored to join with Senator Grisanti in this historic effort to prevent the possession, sale and trade in shark fins in New York. I applaud the Governor for taking the final step in this process by approving the legislation. Our success will hopefully lead to additional nationwide actions to stop the inhumane and ecologically devastating shark fin trade.?

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, said: "I am so pleased that with the Governor's signature today, the possession and sale of shark fins will finally be illegal in New York State.? New York will no longer be complicit in the reprehensible practice of shark finning, which has led to the demise of shark populations worldwide. I commend the tireless efforts of Assemblymember Alan Maisel and The Humane Society of the United States in getting this important work accomplished.?

Senator Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo, said: ?I am proud to be the Senate sponsor of A.1769b/S.1711b, prohibiting the possession, sale, and trade of shark fin in New York. The decimation of the shark population is a serious concern as it has a detrimental trickle-down effect for the entire oceanic food chain. With the shark population in serious peril, and other countries and states passing legislation to protect sharks, New York should be a leader in extending protection to these magnificent animals.?

U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng, D-Queens, said: "I would like to congratulate Assembly Member Maisel and Senator Grisanti for taking the lead on this initiative. Shark finning is an irresponsible practice driven by the shark fin trade which kills millions of sharks every year. This law will help protect global shark populations for many years to come. It's critical for the environment and we must ensure that we do all we can to protect it."

New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, D-Lower Manhattan, said: "I am proud that New York is joining seven other states to ban the sale of shark fins and stand united against the cruel and inhumane practice of shark finning. I hope that New York will serve as an example not only nationally, but internationally, and that one day soon we will be celebrating the end of this industry all together."

California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, Oregon, Washington, American Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands have enacted similar laws in recent years. The trade is spurred by the demand for shark fin soup, an expensive Chinese delicacy and status symbol commonly served at banquets and other celebrations.

Statements from the organizations leading the effort to protect sharks:

Patrick Kwan, director of grassroots organizing for The Humane Society of the United States, said: ?New York will no longer be a haven for the cruel and unsustainable trade in shark fins. The Empire State has long taken action to protect other threatened and endangered species such as tigers and elephants, now we?re taking action to protect sharks and help end the cruelty of shark finning worldwide.?

Beth Lowell, campaign director for Oceana said: ?New York said ?no? to shark fins today. The widespread support for this ban shows that sharks are worth more in the oceans than in a bowl of soup. By reducing the demand for their fins in New York, we can help to protect sharks worldwide.???

Michael Skoletsky, executive director of Shark Savers, said: ?Sharks are critically important to a healthy marine environment and divers like me have grown to appreciate sharks as being intelligent and graceful animals. Thank you, New York, for opting out of the deadly shark fin trade that is primarily responsible for devastating shark populations throughout the world.?

Iris Ho, wildlife campaigns manager of Humane Society International, said: ?Tens of millions of sharks are killed every year to meet global demand for shark fins. We applaud the humane leadership of New York Assemblymembers Alan Maisel and Linda B. Rosenthal, Sen. Mark Grisanti, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Councilmember Margaret Chin for championing this historic effort and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for finalizing this law to end cruelty and protect shark populations and ocean ecosystems.?

Peter Knights, executive director of WildAid, said: "New York is the last major market for shark fin in the US to close and this encourages China, which has banned shark fin from state banquets, to take further action to reduce demand for shark fin. Finally some respite for beleaguered shark populations."

Alejandra Goyenechea, international counsel for Defenders of Wildlife, said: ?Finning is decimating the world's shark populations at an alarming rate and now New York has a chance to join the worldwide movement dedicated to halting this practice and ensuring this species' survival. This is truly an example of 'Think globally, act locally'."

John Hocevar, oceans campaign director for Greenpeace USA, said: ?Scientists are still just beginning to discover the role sharks play in maintaining a balance in our oceans. Ending the shark fin trade is a very important step in reversing the damage we have done through this unnecessary and wasteful practice."

David VanLuven, policy director for Environmental Advocates of New York said: "Existing laws banning shark finning are not enough to address the worldwide harvest of shark fins - a harvest that is inhumane and destroys fragile ocean ecosystems. Governor Cuomo and state legislators have set a national standard for other states to follow."

Roger Downs, conservation director for the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter said: ?The important role that sharks play in maintaining marine biodiversity cannot be overstated. The catastrophic drop in shark populations across almost every species has sent shock waves through ocean ecosystems globally. Gov. Cuomo and the New York legislature should be commended for banning the sale of shark fins as a signal that New York is serious about the recovery of these keystone species.?

Christopher Chin, executive director of The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education, said: ?Sharks are vital for healthy ocean ecosystems, but their populations have declined dramatically the last few decades as a result of human greed and lack of understanding. Animals at the top of the food chain, such as sharks, have few natural predators, so they are slow to mature and have very few young. As a result, they are extremely sensitive to fishing pressures, and are slow to recover from overfishing.?

Kate Dylewsky, program assistant for Born Free USA, said: "Born Free USA strongly believes that eliminating the market for shark fins is crucial to shark protection. While sharks face many threats in the wild, ?shark finning? is certainly the cruelest. It is time for New York to do its part in ending this horrifying practice."

Elizabeth Hogan, campaign manager for World Society for the Protection of Animals, said: "Shark finning is an extremely cruel and inhumane practice driven by the shark fin trade in which fishermen catch sharks, cut off their fins and throw the still-living animals back into the water, where they die slow and horrifically painful deaths. WSPA is happy to see New York state take this step to protect sharks from this needless cruelty, and plan to help other states follow their lead."

Marie Levine, executive director of the Shark Research Institute, said: ?Much of the shark fin trade uses fins hacked off living sharks. If we found dogs and horses with their legs severed, bleeding and dying, the public outrage would be deafening. The difference is that finning takes place at sea, out of sight. Because the trade is largely unregulated and unmonitored, and finning often takes place beyond national and state jurisdiction, the most effective method to bring an end to this brutal practice is through legislation such as this.?

Facts:

• The fins from up to 73 million sharks are used to make shark fin soup each year.
• Conservation, fisheries enforcement and a shark finning ban in the U.S. alone are not enough to conserve sharks. A ban on shark fin products is the most effective way to eliminate the demand for shark fins and to eradicate shark finning around the world.
• In March 2013, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species listed certain shark species on Appendix II ? the first time shark species with high commercial value have been granted such protections in the 40-year history of the convention.
• Shark fin soup is often the most expensive item on restaurant menus and typically served simply as a symbol of status. It has no nutritional value and is the main driver of the multi-billion dollar international shark fin trade. The dish is highly controversial because of the manner in which shark fins are harvested outside of the U.S. and the precarious status of many shark populations.
• In 2011, President Obama signed the Shark Conservation Act to strengthen the federal law against shark finning at sea and require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached.

SOURCE and LINK:
The Humane Society of the United States
http://www.humanesociety.org

Source: http://www.khou.com/community/blogs/animal-attraction/Animal-Attraction---217397391.html

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How To Thwart Broad Microsoft Patent App Using Microsoft's Own Prior Art In Just 15 Minutes

If you work in the software industry, patents are obviously a huge issue. Nowhere is the abuse of patents more common than in this field, where broadly written claims covering obvious "methods" are the rule, rather than the exception.

Fortunately, some new tools have been crafted to allow developers to head off future trolling efforts. One of these, Ask Patents, was set up by StackExchange and Google in conjunction with the USPTO. Joel Spolsky, cofounder and CEO, recently had a reason to test drive Ask Patents, resulting in the rejection of a terrible software patent application.

There are a lot of people complaining about lousy software patents these days. I say, stop complaining, and start killing them. It took me about fifteen minutes to stop a crappy Microsoft patent from being approved. Got fifteen minutes? You can do it too.

First, Spolsky gives the uninitiated a little background on software patents.

Software developers don?t actually invent very much. The number of actually novel, non-obvious inventions in the software industry that maybe, in some universe, deserve a government-granted monopoly is, perhaps, two.

The other 40,000-odd software patents issued every year are mostly garbage that any working programmer could ?invent? three times before breakfast. Most issued software patents aren?t ?inventions? as most people understand that word. They?re just things that any first-year student learning Java should be able to do as a homework assignment in two hours.

Taking a look at the history of patent trolls bears this out. Eolas, a notorious troll, which recently had its patents invalidated, has been extracting settlements from dozens of companies with its "Web interactivity" patents for nearly a decade. Others have followed in its wake, using patents such as "System for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence" (to attack podcasters) and "online shopping carts" (to attack pretty much everyone) to generate revenue via lawsuits and settlements, all without having to actually create a competing product.

So, how do these patents make it past examiners without being discarded as obvious or running into tons of prior art?

The first technique is to try to make the language of the patent as confusing and obfuscated as possible. That actually makes it harder for a patent examiner to identify prior art or evaluate if the invention is obvious...

The second technique to getting bad software patents issued is to use a thesaurus. Often, software patent applicants make up new terms to describe things with perfectly good, existing names... Since patent examiners rely so much on keyword searches, when you submit your application, if you can change some of the keywords in your patent to be different than the words used everywhere else, you might get your patent through even when there?s blatant prior art, because by using weird, made-up words for things, you?ve made that prior art harder to find.

Spolsky details even more methods deployed by trolls to push through broad patents. He also notes that these examiner-thwarting efforts serve two purposes: sliding the application through and clouding the patent's coverage in order to increase the possibility that it will be infringed. Trolls don't want other creators not to infringe on their patents -- they want as much infringement as possible in order to generate settlements, hence the vague, ill-defined terminology.

Armed with this knowledge, Spolsky went in search of a patent app to invalidate.

At first I honestly thought it was going to be hard. Would we even be able to find vulnerable applications? The funny thing is that when I looked at a bunch of software patent applications at random I came to realize that they were all bad, which makes our job much easier.

Take patent application US 20130063492 A1, submitted by Microsoft. An Ask Patent user submitted this call for prior art on March 26th.

From the patent's summary:

[T]echniques for generating and displaying a presentation of elements in view of the pixel density of the display component, using a scale factor set of scale factors that specify a pixel density range and a scale factor value (e.g., 120%) to be applied to the elements of the presentation.

Spolsky looked at this patent and noticed one phrase being used repeatedly: pixel density. Or as anyone not applying for a dubious patent would call it: resolution.

Without reading too deeply, I realized that this patent is basically trying to say ?Sometimes you have a picture that you want to scale to different resolutions. When this happens, you might want to have multiple versions of the image available at different resolutions, so you can pick the one that?s closest and scale that.?

So, Spolsky searched for prior art aimed at the actual purpose of the patent: providing images at multiple resolutions. And he found it -- right inside something else created by none other than Microsoft itself.

So I spent about a minute with Google and eventually (bing!) found this interesting document entitled Writing DPI-Aware Win32 Applications [PDF] written by Ryan Haveson and Ken Sykes at, what a coincidence, Microsoft.

And it was written in 2008, while Microsoft?s new patent application was trying to claim that this ?invention? was ?invented? in 2011. Boom. Prior art found, and deployed.

Total time elapsed, maybe 10 minutes.

A couple of months down the road, Spolsky (or rather, his patent expert) was informed that the application (including all 20 claims) had been rejected. It's a non-final rejection and Microsoft is appealing, but Spolsky's experience still demonstrates the potential power tools like these have to thwart bad patents, or at the very least, force the applicants to refine their definitions and descriptions.

[Hat tip to a whole bunch of people who sent this in, with the first few being ChurchHatesTucker, Nate Hoffelder from The Digital Reader and Marcel Popescu.)

Source: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130723/09543223903/joel-spolsky-stackexchange-thwarts-broad-microsoft-patent-app-using-microsofts-own-prior-art.shtml

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This Graphic Shows You Quick Home Improvement Projects You ...

Sure, some home repairs increase your value and others don't, but we're all busy people, and not all of us have time for a massive kitchen remodel. This infographic will walk you through some of the ways to improve your home?and its value?in your spare time.

Most of the improvements are easy enough for anyone can do, even if you don't consider yourself much of a DIY-er. For example, the graphic suggests picking up an auto-mower if you have the right kind of yard for one, or adding a few window boxes with some flowers or herbs in them to brighten up the facade of your home. They also suggest adding dimmer switches to major rooms where a little soft light can improve the mood.

The guide also has some more questionable suggestions (mirrors "create energy?" and desks shouldn't face walls?) so take them with a grain of salt and apply the ones that make sense for your space and style. Even some of the questionable ones (mirrors can make a small space feel larger and brighten it up) can have some practical application. Check out the full image below, or hit the link below to see the graphic at QuickQuid.

Improving Your Home in 10 Minutes or Less ? Infographic | Quid Corner via Lifehack

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Source: http://lifehacker.com/this-graphic-shows-you-quick-home-improvement-projects-888093974

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Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta 2's Joseline Hernandez, Stevie J Married / Real Housewives Star Kandi Burruss Posts Photo of Wedding Ring on Instagram [PHOTO]

Joseline Hernandez and Stevie J are officially married! If you're a fan of Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta 2 then you know who I'm talking about.

Polarizing Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss confirmed the engagement in a radio show interview with the new couple on hand in Atlanta on Monday.

A photo of Hernandez and Stevie J holding hands with wedding rings on appeared on the Burruss' Instagram account. The Real Housewives star not only confirmed the news, but also took the photo!

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"Are they married??? Look at @thebaddestputa1's rock," Burruss' caption read.

Burruss later added another photo with a caption: "They're both rocking rings on the wedding finger!"

V-103, the Atlanta radio station that broke the news also shared their excitement via Instagram.

"This morning was crazy!!!! Sitting in for @thercms with@kandiburruss @msjoseline @thebaddestputa1@hitmansteviej_ on @v103Atlanta!!! Notice the #ringson the left hands!!!"

What many fans may not know about the couple...Hernandez proposed to Stevie J. So much for tradition!

On Monday's episode of Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta 2, Stevie J hopped on a plane for Hernandez's hometown Pnce, Puerto Rico to start production on the singer's upcoming music video. Hernandez didn't waste anytime once they were done filming the video. She confessed her love to Stevie J and told him she wanted to be together forever.

"I think that we should make things happen so I went out and got you a gift," Hernandez told Stevie J. "I want you to think about what we spoke on before we came to Puerto Rico and....maybe you're ready to marry me."

Congrats Joseline Hernandez and Stevie J!

? 2013 BREATHEcast Christian music. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Breathecast/~3/4TSmwKr0aog/

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President Mugabe attacks Obama for tying aid for Africa and the decriminalisation of homosexuality

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has criticised US President Barack Obama for tying aid for African countries to the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Mugabe made the comments whilst addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters on Tuesday.

He said:??Obama this man born of an African father and a white mother told us that US can only provide financial aid if we accepted homosexuality as a country.?

Going on to say that Zimbabwe would never legalise homosexuality, he said:??No gay couples could have children even if you lock them up for five years in a house.?

?We have to take these seats back even if it means taking them from the python that swallowed them in the last election,? he continued.

Mugabe has previously referred to gay people as being ?worse than dogs and pigs.?

In 2005, Prince Charles drew controversy in Britain when he shook hands with him at the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Back in May,?Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe?s prime minister was criticised by gay rights campaigners in the country for denouncing homosexuality and reportedly saying marriage ?should be between a man and a?woman.?

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Discuss this ?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Pinknews/~3/27JEudQxzJk/

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Will Valero Energy (VLO) Beat Earnings Estimates This Quarter?

One of the largest North American independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) is set to report its second-quarter 2013 results on Jul 23. Let?s see how things are shaping up prior to the announcement.

In the last quarter, the company?s earnings of $1.18 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 by 16.8%. The quarterly results were aided by higher refining throughput margins in each of the company?s regions, except the U.S. West Coast, along with lower refining operating expenses.

Growth Factors this Past Quarter

In the first quarter, Valero witnessed refining throughput volumes of approximately 2.57 million barrels per day, marginally up from the year-earlier level of 2.56 million barrels a day. This was primarily backed by major turnaround, maintenance and repair activity at refineries in Valero?s U.S. Gulf Coast region, including the Texas City, Corpus Christi and Port Arthur refineries; and at its Benicia and Wilmington refineries in the U.S. West Coast region.

By feedstock composition, sweet crude, medium/light sour crude and heavy sour crude accounted for 42%, 16% and 19%, respectively. The remaining volumes came from residuals, other feedstock as well as blendstocks and others. The Gulf Coast accounted for approximately 55% of the total volume. The Mid-Continent, North Atlantic and West Coast regions accounted for 17%, 19% and 9%, respectively.

Valero?s stable performance in the first quarter can be traced back to favorable refining margins and lower operating expenses.

More importantly, Valero is best positioned to profit from increased refining margins mainly on account of its strategic refinery structure that enables it to use cheaper oil for over one-half of its needs.

Valero recently spun off 80% stake of its retail arm ? CST Brands Inc. (CST) ? through a tax-advantaged distribution to shareholders, to unlock value on May 1, 2013. The spin-off of the company's retail arm generated an immediate net cash benefit of $500 million, after shelling out $220 million in taxes. We feel that the move would help the company to concentrate on its industry-specific strategies.

However, being the largest independent refiner in the country, Valero remains exposed to the ongoing tepid macro backdrop. Refiners in the U.S. generally face uncertainty regarding future regulations pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions and the potential for higher requirement of biofuels. Other threats include government regulations, weather conditions, crude oil and natural gas prices as well as renewable fuel prices. These can result in increased costs, reduced growth and fines or other sanctions.

Earnings Whispers?

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Valero is likely to beat earnings estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive earnings Expected Surprise Prediction or ESP (Read: Zacks Earnings ESP: A Better Method) and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP:? The earnings ESP for the stock is 0.00%.

Zacks Rank #3 (Hold): Valero?s Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) when combined with a 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 and 5 (Sell rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are some other companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: ?

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGP) with earnings ESP of +6.90% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

W&T Offshore Inc. (WTI) with earnings ESP of +9.09% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
?

Read the Full Research Report on VLO

Read the Full Research Report on FGP

Read the Full Research Report on WTI

Read the Full Research Report on CST

Zacks Investment Research

More From Zacks.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/valero-energy-vlo-beat-earnings-185002795.html

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Deal of the Day ? Dell XPS 12 Core i5 convertible 1080p touchscreen tablet with Windows 8

Saturday’s LogicBUY Deal is the configurable?12.5″ Dell XPS 12 convertible tablet. starting at $999.99. ?Features: Converts from a laptop to a tablet 12.5? full-HD, 1080p 400nit touchscreen display with 160-degree viewing angle Constructed of?machined aluminum, bonded Corning Gorilla Glass, and carbon fiber $1199.99 – $100 savings – $100 coupon code = $999.99 with free shipping. [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/07/20/deal-of-the-day-dell-xps-12-core-i5-convertible-1080p-touchscreen-tablet-with-windows-8-2/

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Eric Garcetti to be sworn in as new mayor of Los Angeles

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Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/politics&id=9157094&rss=rss-kabc-article-9157094

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Cattle flatulence doesn't stink with biotechnology: Farmers could improve air quality by using hormones

July 1, 2013 ? The agriculture industry is researching new technologies to help feed the growing population. But feeding the world without harming air quality is a challenge.

According to a new article in Animal Frontiers, biotechnologies increase food production and reduce harmful gas output from cattle.

"We are increasing the amount of product with same input," said Clayton Neumeier, PhD student at University of California, Davis, in an interview.

In the Animal Frontiers paper, Neumeier describes a recent experiment using biotechnologies. In the experiment, a test group of cattle were treated with biotechnologies. Different groups of cattle received implants, Ionophores and Beta-adrenergic agonists. These biotechnologies help cattle grow more efficiently. A control group of cattle were not treated with any of these biotechnologies.

Researchers measured gas output by placing finishing steers in a special corral that traps emissions. Each treatment group was tested four times to ensure accurate results.

The researchers also tested a dairy biotechnology called rBST. This biotechnology is a synthetic version of a cattle hormone that does not affect humans. Many producers inject cows with rBST to help them produce more milk.

In their experiment, the researchers gave rBST to a test group of cows and gave no rBST to a control group of cows. They discovered that the rBST group produced more milk per cow. When cows produce more milk, greenhouse gas emissions decrease because farms need fewer cows.

Dr. Kim Stackhouse, National Cattleman's Beef Association Director of Sustainability, said animal agriculture has reduced emissions through the use of technologies. Technologies that improve animal performance, crop yields, and manure management and the installation of biogas recovery systems have all contributed to reducing the environmental impact of beef.

Biogas recovery systems are used in processing facilities to produce energy from animal waste. Animal waste is collected in lagoons, where the gas is captured. The gas is transported through an internal combustion area that produces energy for heat and electricity.

"I expect there to be more improvement as we continue be more efficient, continue to do more with less and also strive to find new improvement opportunities," Stackhouse said.

Some consumers do not like the use of biotechnology in food production. Neumeier thinks these consumers are unaware of the benefits of biotechnology. His research shows that biotechnology can produce more food and lower gas emissions.

"We need to inform them that these are valuable tools for those two reasons and not be turned off by the use of biotechnology," Neumeier said.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/iumqbtxbUTc/130701163939.htm

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Silvio Berlusconi: Associate describes 'excess' at bunga bunga parties

Silvio Berlusconi: A close associate of the former Italian prime minister described his bunga bunga parties as 'excess, abuse of power and degradation.' On Monday, Burlusconi was sentenced to seven years in jail for paying for sex with a minor and abuse of office.

By Sara Rossi and James Mackenzie,?Reuters / June 29, 2013

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi attends the presentation of a book in Rome in September 2012. Berlusconi suffered one of his most damaging setbacks yet as a court on Monday, sentenced him to seven years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics for paying an underage prostitute for sex and forcing public officials to cover it up.

Alessandra Tarantino/AP/File

Enlarge

A close associate of?Silvio?Berlusconi?said on Friday he agreed with descriptions of "bunga bunga" parties at the former prime minister's palatial residence as "excess, abuse of power and degradation."

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Show-business agent Lele Mora, one of three people charged with aiding and abetting under-aged prostitution, told a court in?Milan?that he had taken young women to the parties and had received a loan from?Berlusconi.

In his declaration to the court, he denied that he had pushed the women into prostitution but delivered an unusually severe judgement on the evenings, which?Berlusconi?has repeatedly described as "elegant dinners."

"Yesterday I read three words in a newspaper that described what happened and what you are judging today: excess, abuse of power and degradation. It's true, that is how it was," he said.

A?Milan court?sentenced?Berlusconi?on Monday to seven years in jail and banned him from public office after convicting him of paying for sex with a minor and of abuse of office. He will remain free pending the outcome of his appeals, expected to take several years to resolve.

Prosecutors have presented evidence describing unbridled scenes involving young women stripping and performing raunchy dances at?Berlusconi's parties and being rewarded with envelopes stuffed with thousands of euros in cash.

The case, one of a series facing the 76-year-old centre-right leader and billionaire media tycoon, has compounded the tensions in Prime Minister?Enrico Letta's governing coalition, which depends on?Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party.

Speaking in?Brussels?on Friday, Letta, from the centre-left?Democratic Party?(PD), repeated that he was confident the PDL would continue to support his government.

Prosecutors say that Mora, a longstanding associate of?Berlusconi, helped recruit young women, including Karima El Maroug, the former teenaged nightclub dancer known as "Ruby the Heartstealer" who is at the centre of the case.

They are seeking a seven-year sentence for Mora and for his co-defendants?Emilio Fede, a former newscaster on one of?Berlusconi's television stations, and?Nicole Minetti, a former dental hygienist who later became a PDL regional councillor.

Mora's lawyers have denied that his involvement constituted an offence and have asked for him to be cleared of the charges.

Berlusconi?voiced outrage at the verdict in his own trial, which he said was politically motivated, and repeated that he was "absolutely innocent".?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/rCO3LuL3cu0/Silvio-Berlusconi-Associate-describes-excess-at-bunga-bunga-parties

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Genomic atlas of gene switches in plants provides roadmap for crop research

June 30, 2013 ? What allows certain plants to survive freezing and thrive in the Canadian climate, while others are sensitive to the slightest drop in temperature? Those that flourish activate specific genes at just the right time -- but the way gene activation is controlled remains poorly understood.

A major step forward in understanding this process lies in a genomic map produced by an international consortium led by scientists from McGill University and the University of Toronto and published online today in the journal Nature Genetics.

The map, which is the first of its kind for plants, will help scientists to localize regulatory regions in the genomes of crop species such as canola, a major crop in Canada, according to researchers who worked on the project. The team has sequenced the genomes of several crucifers (a large plant family that includes a number of other food crops) and analyzed them along with previously published genomes to map more than 90,000 genomic regions that have been highly conserved but that do not appear to encode proteins.

"These regions are likely to play important roles in turning genes on or off, for example to regulate a plant's development or its response to environmental conditions," says McGill computer-science professor Mathieu Blanchette, one of the leaders of the study. Work is currently underway to identify which of those regions may be involved in controlling traits of particular importance to farmers.

The study also weighs in on a major debate among biologists, concerning how much of an organism's genome has important functions in a cell, and how much is "junk DNA," merely along for the ride. While stretches of the genome that code for proteins are relatively easy to identify, many other 'noncoding' regions may be important for regulating genes, activating them in the right tissue and under the right conditions.

While humans and plants have very similar numbers of protein-coding genes, the map published in Nature Genetics further suggests that the regulatory sequences controlling plant genes are far simpler, with a level of complexity between that of fungi and microscopic worms. "These findings suggest that the complexity of different organisms arises not so much from what genes they contain, but how they turn them on and off," says McGill biology professor Thomas Bureau, a co-author of the paper.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/97SI62s6rJ8/130630144921.htm

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University of Michigan activates antimatter 'gun,' cartoon supervillians twirl moustaches anew

At the University of Michigan, an international team of physicists has begun experimenting with its tabletop-sized super laser, modding it into an antimatter "gun." It's not quite a black hole-firing pistol, but we're slightly terrified nonetheless. Up until now, machines capable of creating positrons -- coupled with electrons, they comprise the energy similar to what's emitted by black holes and pulsars -- have needed to be as large as they are expensive. Creating these antimatter beams on a small scale will hopefully give astrophysicists greater insight into the "enigmatic features" of gamma ray bursts that are "virtually impossible to address by relying on direct observations," according to a paper published at Arvix. While the blasts only last fractions of a second each, the researchers report each firing produces a particle-density output level comparable to the accelerator at CERN. Just like that, the Longhorns/Wolverines super-laser arms-race begins again.

Filed under: Science

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Via: Gizmodo, PhysOrg

Source: Arvix

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Juqe16JsF8I/

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