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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/vantage-fx-uk/new-mobile-trading/prweb10680011.htm.
T.J. Oshie #74, David Perron #57 and Alex Pietrangelo #27 of the St. Louis Blues celebrate Perron?s second goal against the Colorado Avalanche at the Scottrade Center on February 11, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
The Blues begin their run for the Stanley Cup on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Chris Hrabe had the opportunity to catch up with key players David Perron & TJ Oshie following practice on Monday.
The Sports Hub
Should Rams fans be happy about how the Les Snead/Jeff Fisher regime did with the 2013 NFL Draft? Chris caught up with Russ Lande, GM Jr Scouting of www.russlande.com.
LONDON (Reuters) - The Conservatives derided the rival UK Independence Party as a "collection of clowns" on Sunday as they tried to stop supporters switching to the surging anti-European Union movement in local elections this week.
Thursday's vote in England and Wales offers parties a chance to test the political climate before a national election in 2015 at a time when Conservative strategists fear UKIP will split the centre-right vote.
Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives, the senior partner in a two-party national coalition, trail the opposition Labour party by up to 10 percentage points in opinion polls.
Ken Clarke, a prominent Conservative and government minister, said he agreed with Cameron's assertion that UKIP had "fruitcakes and closet racists" in its ranks and that it tried to exploit voters' fears.
"These are very difficult times. The political class is regarded as having got us into a mess and the last government left chaos behind them," he told Sky News. "It's very tempting to vote for a collection of clowns."
Battling to kick-start a tepid economy and to cut a big budget deficit, Cameron is banking on a rebound before 2015. But with no strong recovery in sight he faces losing hundreds of the more than 2,000 council seats his party is contesting.
A bad result in the vote - held largely in rural English counties and in one Welsh area - could prompt some Conservative MPs to question Cameron's leadership, though he has ridden out such dissent before.
Campaigning on a promise to take Britain out of the EU and to end "open-door" immigration, UKIP has seen its poll rating oscillate between 11 and 17 percent, overtaking Cameron's junior Liberal Democrat coalition partner at times.
"The trouble with UKIP really is it's just a protest party," said Clarke. "It's against the political parties ... it's against foreigners ... but it doesn't have any very positive policies. They don't know what they're for."
NO SEATS
UKIP has had some success in local elections and is represented in the European Parliament, but holds no seats in the British parliament.
As its popularity has grown so too has public scrutiny.
It was forced to suspend one of its more than 1,700 candidates over his support for a group that has organised protests against Muslim immigrants. Another candidate resigned over his past membership of a far-right group and a third was suspended over an anti-Semitic online row.
UKIP has said it is the victim of a "reprehensible" smear-campaign by the Conservatives, who it says are running scared.
"They must be utterly terrified that their shallow approach to government is being seen through by the public," said Nigel Farage, the party's leader.
Leaked emails published by The Observer newspaper on Sunday suggested UKIP was worried it had few credible policies beyond its opposition to the EU and immigration, saying its members were struggling to coalesce around other ideas. The party said the emails were evidence of a lively internal debate.
Analysts say UKIP's popularity has already prompted the government to harden its stance on Europe and immigration.
Peter Mandelson, a former Labour minister and European Commissioner, urged Cameron not to become more eurosceptic if UKIP did well in the elections.
"Long-term national interest must be our guide, not short-term politics," he wrote in the Independent on Sunday.
Apr. 29, 2013 ? Suppose you hear someone say, "The man gave the ice cream the child." Does that sentence seem plausible? Or do you assume it is missing a word? Such as: "The man gave the ice cream to the child."
A new study by MIT researchers indicates that when we process language, we often make these kinds of mental edits. Moreover, it suggests that we seem to use specific strategies for making sense of confusing information -- the "noise" interfering with the signal conveyed in language, as researchers think of it.
"Even at the sentence level of language, there is a potential loss of information over a noisy channel," says Edward Gibson, a professor in MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) and Department of Linguistics and Philosophy.
Gibson and two co-authors detail the strategies at work in a new paper, "Rational integration of noisy evidence and prior semantic expectations in sentence interpretation," published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"As people are perceiving language in everyday life, they're proofreading, or proof-hearing, what they're getting," says Leon Bergen, a PhD student in BCS and a co-author of the study. "What we're getting is quantitative evidence about how exactly people are doing this proofreading. It's a well-calibrated process."
Asymmetrical strategies
The paper is based on a series of experiments the researchers conducted, using the Amazon Mechanical Turk survey system, in which subjects were presented with a series of sentences -- some evidently sensible, and others less so -- and asked to judge what those sentences meant.
A key finding is that given a sentence with only one apparent problem, people are more likely to think something is amiss than when presented with a sentence where two edits may be needed. In the latter case, people seem to assume instead that the sentence is not more thoroughly flawed, but has an alternate meaning entirely.
"The more deletions and the more insertions you make, the less likely it will be you infer that they meant something else," Gibson says. When readers have to make one such change to a sentence, as in the ice cream example above, they think the original version was correct about 50 percent of the time. But when people have to make two changes, they think the sentence is correct even more often, about 97 percent of the time.
Thus the sentence, "Onto the cat jumped a table," which might seem to make no sense, can be made plausible with two changes -- one deletion and one insertion -- so that it reads, "The cat jumped onto a table." And yet, almost all the time, people will not infer that those changes are needed, and assume the literal, surreal meaning is the one intended.
This finding interacts with another one from the study, that there is a systematic asymmetry between insertions and deletions on the part of listeners.
"People are much more likely to infer an alternative meaning based on a possible deletion than on a possible insertion," Gibson says.
Suppose you hear or read a sentence that says, "The businessman benefitted the tax law." Most people, it seems, will assume that sentence has a word missing from it -- "from," in this case -- and fix the sentence so that it now reads, "The businessman benefitted from the tax law." But people will less often think sentences containing an extra word, such as "The tax law benefitted from the businessman," are incorrect, implausible as they may seem.
Another strategy people use, the researchers found, is that when presented with an increasing proportion of seemingly nonsensical sentences, they actually infer lower amounts of "noise" in the language. That means people adapt when processing language: If every sentence in a longer sequence seems silly, people are reluctant to think all the statements must be wrong, and hunt for a meaning in those sentences. By contrast, they perceive greater amounts of noise when only the occasional sentence seems obviously wrong, because the mistakes so clearly stand out.
"People seem to be taking into account statistical information about the input that they're receiving to figure out what kinds of mistakes are most likely in different environments," Bergen says.
Reverse-engineering the message
Other scholars say the work helps illuminate the strategies people may use when they interpret language.
"I'm excited about the paper," says Roger Levy, a professor of linguistics at the University of California at San Diego who has done his own studies in the area of noise and language.
According to Levy, the paper posits "an elegant set of principles" explaining how humans edit the language they receive. "People are trying to reverse-engineer what the message is, to make sense of what they've heard or read," Levy says.
"Our sentence-comprehension mechanism is always involved in error correction, and most of the time we don't even notice it," he adds. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to operate effectively in the world. We'd get messed up every time anybody makes a mistake."
The study was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The original article was written by Peter Dizikes.
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New stats: Plastic surgery trend has women armed for spring and summerPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shannon McCormick shannon@mediasourcetv.com 614-477-2719 American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Inspired by strong-armed celebrities, upper arm lifts jump 4,378% since 2000, new ASPS statistics show
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 29, 2013 New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that arm lifts in women have skyrocketed more than 4,000 percent in just over the last decade. It is a trend fueled, in part, by sleeveless fashions for women and more focus on strong-armed celebrities. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lift procedures. Last year, more than 15,000 did.
Arm Lifts By The Numbers:
Procedures in 2012
Overall: 15,457 up 3% since 2011 / 4,473% since 2000
Women: 15,136 up 4,378% since 2000
98% of arm lift patients were women
Most popular with patients over 40. The majority, 43%, of patients were ages 40 and 54, 33% were over age 55.
Average surgeon fee: $3,939 / total spent on arm lifts: $61 million
Upper arm lifts can include liposuction or a surgical procedure known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms.
"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. "For some women, the arms have always been a troublesome area and, along with proper diet and exercise, liposuction can help refine them. Others may opt for a brachioplasty when there is a fair amount of loose skin present with minimal elasticity."
Doctors say there is no single reason behind the increase, though celebrities from the White House to the red carpet may be having an influence. A recent poll* conducted on behalf of ASPS found that women are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities.
According to the poll, women most admire the arms of first lady Michelle Obama, followed closely by Jennifer Aniston. Actresses Jessica Biel and Demi Moore, and daytime TV talk show host Kelly Ripa also got votes for their toned arms.
"I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV," said ASPS Public Education Committee Chair David Reath, MD, based in Knoxville, Tenn. "We see them and think, 'yeah, I'd like to look like that'."
That's just what happened to 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, who says she was inspired by the arms of the first lady. "I looked at Michelle Obama and said 'Oh my gosh, I want her arms. When I first started losing weight and started to tone up, I had her image in my head."
That was three years ago. Today, Robinson has lost more than 170 pounds and continues an amazing transformation through diet and exercise. But for all the weight she'd lost, Robinson says she still wasn't entirely happy.
"I had a lot of excessive skin around my upper arms," she said. "Every time I looked in the mirror there was a reminder of a heavier person and I just couldn't get rid of it."
That's when Robinson contacted Dr. Reath, who performed her brachioplasty. "Natalie had the perfect arms for this procedure," said Dr. Reath, "but it's not for everybody."
A brachioplasty requires an incision from the elbow to the armpit, generally on the back of the arm, leaving a visible and permanent scar. For Robinson, the scar was much easier to deal with than the excessive skin, but Dr. Reath cautions patients to carefully consider the pros and cons before having an upper arm lift, particularly a brachioplasty.
"It's a trade off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar," he said. "So, as long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure."
Dr. Reath stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to all his patients, but says some women simply can't achieve the look they want on their own. Many who simply want to tighten and tone their upper arms, but don't have a lot of excess skin, opt for liposuction instead of a brachioplasty.
"We are genetically programmed to have different accumulations of fat in different areas, and for some women the arms can be a problem area," said Dr. Reath. "The arms are a very noticeable area and if excessive fat and skin are an issue, they tend to look more out of proportion than the rest of the body."
That was certainly the case for Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson says she never expected surgery to make her arms perfect, just more normal. "Well-proportioned is what I was going for, and I'm very happy. It was well worth the investment," she said. "I would do it again."
###
For more new statistics on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, refer to the ASPS 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html. (Stats on this site will be updated with the specific demographics and trends when embargo lifts on 4/29/13). Information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons can be found at http://www.PlasticSurgery.org.
* This poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons from March 28-April 1, 2013 among 1,219 women ages 18 and older. This online poll is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete poll methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.
Broadcast quality multimedia elements at: http://bit.ly/14STmA2
(Multimedia Newsroom is password protected until embargo lifts. Please contact media relations representative listed below for password prior to embargo.)
Media Contacts: Shannon McCormick, 614-932-9950 (ext. 14) shannon@mediasourcetv.com or ASPS: 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org
[ | 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.
New stats: Plastic surgery trend has women armed for spring and summerPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shannon McCormick shannon@mediasourcetv.com 614-477-2719 American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Inspired by strong-armed celebrities, upper arm lifts jump 4,378% since 2000, new ASPS statistics show
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 29, 2013 New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that arm lifts in women have skyrocketed more than 4,000 percent in just over the last decade. It is a trend fueled, in part, by sleeveless fashions for women and more focus on strong-armed celebrities. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lift procedures. Last year, more than 15,000 did.
Arm Lifts By The Numbers:
Procedures in 2012
Overall: 15,457 up 3% since 2011 / 4,473% since 2000
Women: 15,136 up 4,378% since 2000
98% of arm lift patients were women
Most popular with patients over 40. The majority, 43%, of patients were ages 40 and 54, 33% were over age 55.
Average surgeon fee: $3,939 / total spent on arm lifts: $61 million
Upper arm lifts can include liposuction or a surgical procedure known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms.
"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. "For some women, the arms have always been a troublesome area and, along with proper diet and exercise, liposuction can help refine them. Others may opt for a brachioplasty when there is a fair amount of loose skin present with minimal elasticity."
Doctors say there is no single reason behind the increase, though celebrities from the White House to the red carpet may be having an influence. A recent poll* conducted on behalf of ASPS found that women are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities.
According to the poll, women most admire the arms of first lady Michelle Obama, followed closely by Jennifer Aniston. Actresses Jessica Biel and Demi Moore, and daytime TV talk show host Kelly Ripa also got votes for their toned arms.
"I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV," said ASPS Public Education Committee Chair David Reath, MD, based in Knoxville, Tenn. "We see them and think, 'yeah, I'd like to look like that'."
That's just what happened to 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, who says she was inspired by the arms of the first lady. "I looked at Michelle Obama and said 'Oh my gosh, I want her arms. When I first started losing weight and started to tone up, I had her image in my head."
That was three years ago. Today, Robinson has lost more than 170 pounds and continues an amazing transformation through diet and exercise. But for all the weight she'd lost, Robinson says she still wasn't entirely happy.
"I had a lot of excessive skin around my upper arms," she said. "Every time I looked in the mirror there was a reminder of a heavier person and I just couldn't get rid of it."
That's when Robinson contacted Dr. Reath, who performed her brachioplasty. "Natalie had the perfect arms for this procedure," said Dr. Reath, "but it's not for everybody."
A brachioplasty requires an incision from the elbow to the armpit, generally on the back of the arm, leaving a visible and permanent scar. For Robinson, the scar was much easier to deal with than the excessive skin, but Dr. Reath cautions patients to carefully consider the pros and cons before having an upper arm lift, particularly a brachioplasty.
"It's a trade off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar," he said. "So, as long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure."
Dr. Reath stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to all his patients, but says some women simply can't achieve the look they want on their own. Many who simply want to tighten and tone their upper arms, but don't have a lot of excess skin, opt for liposuction instead of a brachioplasty.
"We are genetically programmed to have different accumulations of fat in different areas, and for some women the arms can be a problem area," said Dr. Reath. "The arms are a very noticeable area and if excessive fat and skin are an issue, they tend to look more out of proportion than the rest of the body."
That was certainly the case for Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson says she never expected surgery to make her arms perfect, just more normal. "Well-proportioned is what I was going for, and I'm very happy. It was well worth the investment," she said. "I would do it again."
###
For more new statistics on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, refer to the ASPS 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html. (Stats on this site will be updated with the specific demographics and trends when embargo lifts on 4/29/13). Information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons can be found at http://www.PlasticSurgery.org.
* This poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons from March 28-April 1, 2013 among 1,219 women ages 18 and older. This online poll is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete poll methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.
Broadcast quality multimedia elements at: http://bit.ly/14STmA2
(Multimedia Newsroom is password protected until embargo lifts. Please contact media relations representative listed below for password prior to embargo.)
Media Contacts: Shannon McCormick, 614-932-9950 (ext. 14) shannon@mediasourcetv.com or ASPS: 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org
[ | 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.
To paraphrase the late Ronald Reagan, there they go again. Reagan, who used that line in a completely different context against Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Walter Mondale in 1984, could not have imagined a time when another Democratic politician would join a list of bad actors in attributing his atrocious behavior to mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder.
The latest news on the Jesse Jackson Jr. front is that the former Illinois Congressman's attorneys may attempt to bar federal prosecutors from having their own medical experts evaluate Jackson. This scenario could end up occurring if Jackson's attorneys raise his supposed bipolar disorder as a mitigating factor in sentencing.
As we all recall, Jackson pleaded guilty on federal charges of pilfering for personal use $750,000 in campaign funds. He resigned from Congress this past November.
Jackson could face 46 to 57 months in prison, while his wife, Sandi, a former Chicago alderwoman, could face one to two years after pleading guilty to filing false income taxes.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the former Congressman's attorney Reid Weingarten objected to the possibility of Jackson's being evaluated by the prosecution's experts at the upcoming July 1 sentencing. Weingarten stated that Jackson's mental illness is "not controversial."
That is funny.
If Jackson were so comfortable with his supposed bipolar disorder, if his condition was truly lacking in controversy, then why, as I wrote last year, was his admission of mental illness so "tortured"? Why did Jackson first reveal that he was suffering from "exhaustion," then later "mood disorder," then finally "bipolar disorder"?
While it is possible that Jackson does indeed have such a diagnosis, I am quite skeptical about it and believe that the prosecution should by all means use its own experts in assessing Jackson's condition.
As I wrote last year, it is appalling that so many celebrities including former Rep. Jackson, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Mel Gibson and others have tried to excuse their violent and/or irresponsible acts by citing their supposed bipolar disorder. The reason I keep using the word, "supposed," is because so many of these celebrities have never indicated that they had a mental disorder until after they behaved badly.
At best, they are cowards for failing to reveal their diagnosis long before their criminal or destructive acts. At worst, they are liars too. Either way, they defame those of us who actually have a diagnosis and have never committed a crime, let alone been violent in our lives.
As I have written numerous times before, I was once diagnosed with schizophrenia, a diagnosis that may not have been correct but one that reflected the severity of my psychosis, in which I thought that I was being framed for a series of murders sweeping the nation. It is more likely that my diagnosis is major depression with psychotic features. In any event, I have never been violent in my life. And that is true of the vast majority of people who have been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder.
Still, as I wrote last year, it never ceases to amaze me that people like Jackson, Kennedy, Gibson and others never admit to having a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or major depression with psychotic features. The reason is obvious. They know that words like "schizo" and "psychotic" have historically terrified everyday citizens, including constituents, whereas "bipolar disorder" and "manic depression" sound relatively palatable and innocuous.
In fact, all of these conditions, when they are legitimate, are severe and can lead to suicide. No one should ever wish to have such a condition. I have tamed my illness, but not before coming close to taking my life in 1997 and 1999, when I had psychotic breaks.
Incidentally, I have met numerous people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other serious mental illnesses. To the extent that they have ever been violent, it has typically been when they have misread a situation. Rarely have they planned acts of violence, let alone federal crimes. This is another reason why I have my doubts about Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s diagnosis.
Perhaps, I am wrong. Perhaps, I am being overly skeptical. Yet I wonder how the ex-Congressman and his wife could engage in "3,100 illicit transactions," according to federal authorities, as the Sun-Times reported. One mistake is one thing. But 3,100 illegal acts is another.
To cite Bob Dylan, Jackson may just be "another politician pumping out the piss." And federal prosecutors have every right to evaluate him with their own medical experts.
Wall-E has adorable droopy eyes and is totally compelling, but I have to remind everyone that he isn't real. If you need a minute to let that sink in take as much time as you need. We're gonna talk about Romibo and you can catch up later. More »
Wilcox County in Georgia will hold just one prom for its high school students Saturday, after years of separate events for whites and blacks.
By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / April 27, 2013
For one Georgia county, this is an end-of-an-era moment, the night when there?s just one prom for local high school students, not a ?white?prom? and a ?black prom.?
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On Saturday, students of all races from Wilcox County High School will party and dance together at a prom for the first time.
In that county, as in some other parts of America?s South, separate proms ? organized privately rather than by public schools ? have lingered for decades, long after schools were racially integrated.
But in an era when young Americans widely accept and embrace the idea of dating and marrying across racial lines, it?s a tradition that?s steadily fading out.
About 15 percent of all new marriages in the United States in 2010 were between spouses of different race (or ethnicity, in the cases where Latino and non-Latino unite). That number, drawn from Census records and?reported last year?by the?Pew Research Center, compares to 6.7 percent of new marriages in 1980.
Nationwide polling by Pew has?also found?that nearly 9 in 10 whites and African Americans in the ?millennial generation? (under 30 as of 2010) say they ?would be fine? with a family member marrying across racial lines.
?The tale of four pals, two black, two white, planning an integrated prom [in Wilcox County] has drawn worldwide attention,? writes blogger Maureen Downey for the website of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
?Proms in some South Georgia districts have been private events held off campus,? she explains. ?The proms moved off campus in response to integration. In the early days of court-ordered integration, some communities did not want to see race mixing so school proms ceased and separate private black and white proms became the norm.?
In some cases, the inertia of tradition has held on even as social norms have been evolving. And moving proms back to being school-orchestrated events sometimes stirs its own controversy, with students worried about stricter rules and school officials wary of legal liability issues, Ms. Downey says.
For the students at Wilcox County High, the event this weekend will still be a private one ? but it?ll be one prom, not two.
To say that the NEC NP-UM330X is unusual among ultra-short throw projectors is both true and not quite true. The true part is that instead of coming in both interactive and non-interactive versions, it comes in only one version, with a separate interactive module also available. So if you don't need interactivity, it's worth considering because it's a capable XGA (1,024 by 768) ultra-short throw projector. But if you think you might want interactivity at some point later, the optional add-on makes it of particular interest.
What makes the statement not quite true is that the add-on module is a customized variation of Luidia eBeam Edge for Business ($720 street, 3.5 stars), which will add interactivity to any projector. In that sense, the NP-UM330X isn't all that different from any of its non-interactive competition. It's just that it's sold with the idea of optional interactivity specifically in mind. It also includes a mount for the interactive module on the projector itself, which helps make the combination of projector and interactive module more of an integrated whole.
You can buy the interactive option separately ($489 direct) as well buy a wall mount ($119 direct), or you can buy the projector, interactive option, and mount together, as the NP-UM330Xi-WK1 ($1,699 direct). For this review, I looked at only the projector and the interactive option.
Basics Like the Hitachi BZ-1 and the Epson BrightLink 485Wi, which are both Editors' Choices, the NP-UM330X is built around an LCD engine. That gives it two key advantages over DLP-based projectors.
First, you don't have to worry about potential rainbow artifacts, with light areas on screen breaking up into little red-green-blue rainbows because of the way single-chip DLP projectors produce colors. With three-chip LCD projectors they simply aren't an issue. Second, there's no difference between white brightness and color brightness, so you don't have to worry about that either.
The only potential disadvantage for an LCD engine is that few LCD projectors offer 3D support, and the NP-UM330X isn't one of them. If you need 3D now, or think you may need it in the near future, that's an important consideration. If you're not interested in showing 3D content, however, the lack of 3D won't matter.
Setup As with any ultra-short throw projector, the NP-UM330X's central feature is its ultra-short throw. NEC says you can use an image size from roughly 61 to 116 inches diagonally, with a throw distance of roughly 17 to 34 inches. That's consistent with my experience, using a 78-inch wide (98-inch diagonal) image with a throw distance of just 28.5 inches from the window near the back of the projector.
Unlike the WXGA (1,280 by 800) Hitachi BZ-1 and Epson BrightLink 485Wi, the NP-UM330X offers XGA (1024 by 768) resolution, which helps keep the price down. It's also a little brighter than the Hitachi and Epson models, with a 3,300-lumen rating. In my tests, it was easily bright enough for the 98-inch diagonal image I used to stand up to a brightly lit office or classroom.
Except for the interactive feature, setup is standard fare. At 6.5 by 14.9 by 16.9 inches (HWD), the 12.6 pound NP-UM330X can easily fit on a cart for room to room portability. If you add interactivity, however, you'll probably want it permanently mounted above whatever you're using for a screen. If nothing else, that will keep the projector out of the way while you're interacting with the image. In my tests, the front of the projector was just 13 inches from the screen with the interactive module added.
Connection options for images include two HDMI ports for computers or video sources; the usual VGA, S-video, and composite video ports; and two USB A ports, for reading files from a USB key and for an optional Wi-Fi dongle ($80 street). In addition, there's a monitor out port, and you can send images, but not audio, over a LAN connection.
If you add the interactive module, installation also consists of mounting the module on the front of the projector, using two screws, and connecting a supplied 15-foot USB cable for interactive control between your computer and a connector on the module. Note too that you also have to calibrate the pen with the projector. You only need to touch nine points, which goes quickly. However, you have to recalibrate every time you change resolutions, switch computers, or move the projector, which is another good reason to mount the projector permanently if you add the interactive module.
Image Quality and Other Issues The NP-UM330X earns points for both its data and video image quality. It sailed through our standard suite of DisplayMate tests, with vibrant color; suitably neutral grays at all shades from black to white; and reasonably crisp, readable text even at 6.8 point size.
The XGA resolution puts obvious limits on video quality, with HD content losing the kind of detail you would expect with a higher resolution. Within those limits however, the NP-UM330X does reasonably well. You won't mistake the video for something coming from a home theater projector, but the level of quality, combined with the complete lack of rainbow artifacts, makes for an acceptably comfortable viewing experience even for a full-length movie.
Also demanding mention is that the interactive feature has some important limitations. Unlike some interactive technologies, it requires the pen to touch the screen, which means you need a screen with a hard backing. It also lacks the ability to let you use more than one pen at the same time. And because the projector itself isn't designed for a vertical mount, with the image projecting down, you can't use it for an interactive table top without shortening the lamp life due to overheating.
Any one of these issues may be a reason to cross the projector off your list. That makes the NEC NP-UM330X far easier to recommend as a non-interactive projector than as an interactive one. If you're sure you want interactivity, you'll probably be better off with the Hitachi BZ-1 or Epson BrightLink 485Wi. If you don't want interactivity, however, or don't want it now but think you might need it one day, the NEC NP-UM330X is a potentially excellent choice. Key features include its ultra-short throw, excellent data image quality, and better than par video quality, plus built-in future-proofing in the form of the optional interactive module.
A new app for iPhones and iPads lets art viewers see the path a painting took from sketches to completion, from any angle.
Repentir, a free app developed by researchers in the United Kingdom's Newcastle University and Northumbria University, works so far with only one painting. But the developers say that the technology could soon be applied to many new paintings, and maybe even old ones.
"What you could do is take the actual imagery art historians have been making of old paintings and actually use the app as a way to reveal them," said Jonathan Hook,? a professor at Newcastle University who studies human-computer interactions. At present, the app can reveal the history of "Transamerica," a new painting by artist Nathan Walsh. [Top 10 Science Apps for Your Phone]
Both the app and the painting are being formally revealed in Paris today (April 26) at the 2013 Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Human Factors in Computing. Walsh is a realist painter, which often makes art viewers believe he's "cheated" by altering photographs or otherwise not really creating his work by hand, Hook told LiveScience.
"What's really cool about the app is it allows people not just to believe that what Nathan does is real, but to get a handle on the process," Hook said.
"Transamerica" is a street scene as seen reflected in a San Francisco Chinatown gift shop. As he painted, Walsh took a photograph every day of the unfinished canvas, starting from pencil sketches and ending in oil paint. Hook and his colleagues then compiled these photographs into layers. Repentir app users can scroll through the layers using a scroll bar, or they can rub top layers away on-screen with a fingertip, revealing the earlier work underneath.
Viewers can snap a picture of the artwork from any angle as they view it in person, and the program will recognize the picture and adjust the layers accordingly. This means that you can even get up close and photograph just a tiny portion of the picture and the app will still recognize it, Hook said.
"Rather than some alternative approaches like looking for a square shape or a QR code, this actually uses features within the image to match where the painting is," he said.
Repentir currently needs "Transamerica" to work, but any artist with digital photography equipment could join the project, Hook said. "Transamerica" will remain on display in Paris until May 2 and then is set to go to the Bernarducci Meisel Gallery in New York, where Hook and his colleagues plan to study whether the app changes the way art lovers approach the painting.
"The next step is to actually evaluate whether Repentir affects the way that gallery patrons experience Nathan's work," Hook said.
Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter?and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook?& Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Another NFL Draft is in the books, 254 new players with a chance to create a professional future, and 32 teams delighted for the moment with the work they?ve done.
And while there were an abundance of storylines, one thing that stood out about the 2013 NFL Draft was the remarkable restraint many teams showed.
There wasn?t an Andrew Luck or a Cam Newton ? or perhaps even a Ryan Mallett ??in this draft.
But even with the extreme financial penalty for missing on a first-round passer gone, teams didn?t line up to take the chance on a potential franchise quarterback as they have in the past.?Only three quarterbacks were chosen in the first three rounds, the fewest since 2000 (the fabled Chad Pennington-Giovanni Carmazzi-Chris Redman draft).
The Bills fooled us all by taking E.J. Manuel in the first round, and even the Jets withstood the temptation to win the back pages by taking Geno Smith in the second. When Mike Glennon was the only third-rounder, it left names such as Matt Barkley and Ryan Nassib for the fourth, where the Eagles and Giants bought low.
Some of the best quarterback business was done by teams that didn?t take one.
The Jaguars might be more needy at the position than any team in the league, with Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne competing. But as bad as that might be, there?s no guarantee any of this year?s candidates are better. So since new general manager David Caldwell didn?t see value, he withstood temptation and restocked a bad team with many other parts they needed ? most of them with speed.
But it wasn?t just at the quarterback position where the smart teams held fast.
After an unprecedented run on left tackles (three of the top four picks), teams with needs there started drafting guards and right tackles and defensive tackles instead of reaching. It would have been easy for the Chargers to move up for one of the top blind-side protectors, but by letting the board come to them, they found a solid starting right tackle in D.J. Fluker. Likewise, Arizona added a guard in Jonathan Cooper who could turn out to be the best value in the draft, and the Titans made Chris Johnson a better running back by drafting guard Chance Warmack (and center Brian Schwenke) to go with big-ticket free agent Andy Levitre.
And not to beat up on Manti Te?o any more than has already happened, the teams that needed him and didn?t draft him deserved notice as well.
The Vikings had a pair of late firsts, and used them on value picks Sharrif Floyd and Xavier Rhodes, both of whom figured to go sooner. Then they made a move for a third first-rounder, not for Te?o, but to take a receiver in Cordarrelle Patterson who has some Randy Moss-ish tendencies. The Bears also skipped an obvious need for a middle linebacker, and took a versatile but raw offensive lineman with good genes (Kyle Long).
The two Super Bowl teams (and two that should push them) exemplified the patience of the weekend as well.
The 49ers stockpiled picks, and used one on running back Marcus Lattimore, who might not play a down for them this year. The Ravens might have had interest in Te?o as well, but took their safety first (Matt Elam) before filling in at linebacker later (Arthur Brown).
The Packers added two running backs in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin who could make a good team better, and the Seahawks used the benefit of a roster with few holes to take some chances on players with question marks, from running back Christine Michael to defensive tackle Jesse Williams.
Not every team has such luxuries. But the best things might come to the ones that were able and willing to wait this weekend.
Apr 15 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $4,139,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,137,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,442,389 4. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,100,469 5. Steve Stricker $1,935,340 6. Phil Mickelson $1,764,680 7. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 8. Jason Day $1,659,565 9. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 10. Keegan Bradley $1,430,347 11. Charles Howell III $1,393,806 12. John Merrick $1,375,757 13. Russell Henley $1,331,434 14. Michael Thompson $1,310,709 15. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 16. Bill Haas $1,271,553 17. Billy Horschel $1,254,224 18. ...
Menelaos Hadjicostis, The Associated Press? ? ?10 hrs.
NICOSIA, Cyprus -- With Cyprus' economy falling apart, even those behind prison bars are pulling together to help people in need.
Dozens of central prison inmates donated around 9,000 euros ($11,649) in cash to a volunteer clinic Saturday in order to help needy families receive free medical attention amid the country's most severe economic crisis in decades.
The inmates, many of them serving long sentences, raised the cash from the 300 euros in pocket money they're allowed to keep for once-weekly purchases at the prison canteen.
Lara Ioannou, 25, whose husband has four years left on a 13-year drug-related sentence, helped hand the money to Eleni Theocharous, a Cypriot European parliament member and pediatric surgeon who also runs the country's first volunteer clinic in the heart of the capital's medieval center.
Ioannou said inmates thought that access to medical attention is as equally important as food as needy families try to weather the country's financial collapse.
Yiota Chrysanthou, 31, whose 27-year-old brother has around three years left on a 12-year sentence also for a drug conviction, said inmates want this to be the first of hopefully many such donations from them.
Theocharous said she was shocked by the unexpected display of charity by people that society often forgets.
"I was deeply moved by the inmates' moral depth, even in their circumstances," Theocharous said. "It just goes to prove that our collective humanity shines through in times of such poverty and hardship."
Theocharous said she would plead with President Nicos Anastasiades to pardon as many inmates as possible.
Metropolitan Isaiah, a senior member of the Orthodox Christian Church, said: "This demonstrates that love of our country and its people supersedes all else."
Around 20 people, including four children, paid a visit Saturday to the small clinic located across from a primary school, nurse Despo Plyta said.
Theocharous said plans are under way in cooperation with the Cyprus Church to build several more volunteer clinics across the island.
Debt-ridden Cyprus faces a steeply shrinking economy and spiking unemployment after seeing its once-thriving banking sector decimated under a deal to receive 10 billion euros ($12.94 billion) in rescue money from its eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund.
? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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