Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.net/finance-and-business.php/348071
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Finance And Business | Debt Relief Options :: By Sean A. Kelly ...
[unable to retrieve full-text content]While some might argue that there is no such a thing as debt relief, generally it refers to the efforts made by the debtor with a neutral third party working together with the creditor to come up with a win-win solution for all.
FINANCIAL LOANS TO PRODUCE STUDENTS- Pick handy start ...
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or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.Source: http://www.denaro-web.biz/financial-loans-to-produce-students-pick-handy-start-within-ones-variety
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Rebels whisk injured British reporter out of Syria
A Free Syrian Army fighter walks to meet his comrades as the Syrian Army advances towards the town of Sarmin, north Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A Free Syrian Army fighter walks to meet his comrades as the Syrian Army advances towards the town of Sarmin, north Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A woman holds her daughter on the balcony of her building damaged by Syrian Army bombings in central Idlib, Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A Free Syrian Army fighter takes a position as the Syrian Army advances towards the town of Sarmin, Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A Free Syrian Army fighter runs as Syrian Army advances towards the town of Sarmin, in northern Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A boy stands in from of a shop destroyed in Syrian Army shelling in the center of Idlib, in northern Syria, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian rebels smuggled a wounded British journalist out of the besieged central city of Homs Tuesday and whisked him to safety in neighboring Lebanon, activist groups said. They did not manage to evacuate a wounded French journalist or the bodies of two other Western reporters killed last week.
The Syrian opposition group Local Coordination Committees and global activist group Avaaz said Paul Conroy was the only foreign journalist to escape Syria. Rima Fleihan, an LCC spokeswoman, said the Sunday Times photographer was smuggled out by Syrian army defectors. The LCC said other Western journalists are negotiating with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to be allowed to leave Syria without having their videos and photos confiscated by authorities.
All the journalists killed and wounded in Homs were smuggled into Syria from Lebanon illegally.
"I have heard that he is out," Conroy's wife Kate Conroy said. "All I can say is that we are delighted and overjoyed at the news, but I am not going to say any more than that at this point." Conroy's father Les Conroy said his wife had spoken with their son and described him as being in "very good spirits," though he confirmed he had not personally talked with the photographer.
"We're all very relieved and happy that Paul's out," he said.
The regime kept up its fierce bombardment of the central region, a major stronghold of the opposition waging an 11-month-old uprising to oust authoritarian President Bashar Assad. Activists reported overnight the deaths of 144 more people in unrest across the country ? scores of them in rebel-controlled Homs neighborhood of Baba Amr by security forces as they tried to flee ? and said at least nine more were killed by shelling on Tuesday.
After a weekend meeting where Western and Arab nations tried to forge a unified strategy to help push Assad from power, the U.N.'s human rights chief said Tuesday the situation in Syria has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks and demanded an immediate humanitarian cease-fire.
Navi Pillay said her office has received reports that Syrian military and security forces "have launched massive campaigns of arrest" and launched an onslaught against government opponents that has deprived many civilians of food, water and medical supplies. Pillay told an urgent meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council that "hundreds of people have reportedly been killed since the start of this latest assault in the beginning of February 2012."
She called on Syria to end all fighting, allow international monitors to enter the country and give unhindered access to aid agencies.
In Beirut, a British embassy official told The Associated Press that London is working to repatriate Conroy, who was injured in the Homs along with French journalist Edith Bouvier. The LCC spokeswoman said Bouvier remained behind in Homs.
American Marie Colvin and Frenchman Remi Ochlik were killed in the same attack and their bodies are still in Syria.
A spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said the U.K. government could not immediately confirm the reports.
"All the necessary work is being done on repatriating Marie Colvin's body and ensuring Paul Conroy gets to safety. For security reasons we can't give you any more detail of that at the moment," said the spokesman, on customary condition of anonymity in line with policy.
News International, publisher of The Sunday Times, said it could not immediately offer comment on Conroy's whereabouts or condition.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said shelling of the central town of Halfaya killed at least four civilians and wounded dozens, many of them seriously. The LCC said 20 people were killed and 100 wounded in the town.
Both groups said the rebel-held neighborhood of Baba Amr in the central city of Homs was under intense shelling. The LCC said 12 people were killed in Homs while the Observatory said five.
The LCC said at least 41 people were killed by troops throughout Syria Tuesday.
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Mystic Star Communications Network
Mystic Star
Mystic Star Network
This is a worldwide communications system, operated and maintained by elements of the United States Army, United States Navy, and United States Air Force under the control of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Operations Center.
Its network provides worldwide communications by directly controlling radio equipment located at Global HF system stations. It consists of ultra high frequency satellite and HF networks supporting Presidential, Vice President, cabinet members and other senior government officials, Joint Staff, VIP (very important persons) and command airborne missions.
The Mystic Star HF network consists of: a single master net control station (MNCS) located at Andrews AFB Maryland, interstation and intersite circuits, and relay and auxiliary communications subsystems. (Source Air Force Instruction 33-106)
MYSTIC STAR
Mystic Star Freqs
MISSION
The mission of the Mystic Star system is to provide high quality voice and data communications support. You might think that this is no different from the support provided by any other communications system, but it is. The Mystic Star system supports the communications needs of the President, Vice President, Cabinet Members, Foreign Heads of State, and other senior government and military officials while aboard Special Air Mission (SAM), VIP, or Command aircraft. These aircraft are assigned an access priority based on the type of mission and agency supported. There are four access priorities used with priority one missions having the highest priority.
PRIORITY ONE
This designation is afforded to the President of the United States during all Air Force One flights. It is also afforded to the Vice President during Air Force Two flights if the President is not flying. Requests for circuit activation are received from the White House Communications Agency (WHCA).
PRIORITY TWO
This designation is afforded to those missions activated in support of high government officials requiring continuous uninterrupted access to their departmental headquarters. It is normally limited to support of the Vice President (if the President is being supported at the same time), Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (OJCS). Requests for circuit activation are received from the Department of the Air Force or WHCA.
NOTE
The President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the "TOP FIVE."
PRIORITY THREE
This designation is afforded to those missions activated for routine activities involving the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) and other special missions as directed by OJCS. Requests for circuit activation are received from OJCS.
PRIORITY FOUR
This designation is afforded to high government or military officials aboard SAM or other special air mission aircraft, call sign SPAR. These individuals do not require continuous, uninterrupted access to their departmental headquarters. Missions supporting Cabinet Staff members, Congress, and DOD personnel are assigned this priority. Requests for circuit activation are received from the 89th Military Airlift Wing (MAW) at Andrews AFB. The NCS at Andrews will directly support all missions. Priority four missions may be referred to Global Command and Control System (GCCS) stations. This is only if the traffic load is such that Andrews cannot provide effective support. The shift supervisor will make this decision. The operator performing coordinator duties will contact the desired GCCS station to be sure the proper support is available.
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/mystic_star.htm
The Mystic Star high-frequency single-side-band [SSB] communications system is installed at about 10-15 Air Force bases around the world, with remote transceivers controlled via telephone voice channels from Andrews AFB. This system is used for telephone traffic when Air Force One is out of range of other UHF links, but at least two SSB voice frequencies (and a full duplex 75 baud secure teletype channel called "India Oscar" which uses a special anti-multipath modem) are maintained continuously and used for coordination of other communications links. Frequencies are chosen from a list of about 150 scattered throughout the available HF spectrum and are designated by "fox" code numbers which change from time to time.
While its importance has greatly diminished due to various satellite communication networks, the mission of the Mystic Star network still exists. MS comms aren't really heard in the clear very often, due to both encryption as well as anti-jam technology used, but every once in a while, people do hear non-secure Mystic Star comms (even if they don't know that's what they're hearing).
In the good old days it was non-secure, analog single-channel HF voice.
As a high-school kid, I was lucky enough to have all the Mystic Star freqs & associated 'Foxtrot' channel numbers. The 'Foxtrot' identifiers were supposed to be switched around every 6 months for security reasons, but the reality was it didn't happen too often, and when it did, there was actually a pattern to it, so if you had all the freqs & heard the new Foxtrot ID's for at least two of them, it was easy to figure out the pattern.
http://cryptome.org/2012-info/mystic-star/0083.htm
MANAGING HIGH FREQUENCY RADIOS, PERSONAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AND THE MILITARY AFFILIATE RADIO SYSTEM
[Excerpts:]
3. MYST1C STAR System. This is a worldwide communications system, operated and maintained by elements of the United States Army, United States Navy, and United States Air Force under the control of the DISA Operations Center. Its network provides worldwide communications by directly controlling radio equipment located at Global HF system stations. It consists of ultra high frequency satellite and HF networks supporting Presidential, special air, commanders-in-chief, Joint Staff, very important persons, and command airborne missions.
3.1. The MYSTIC STAR HF Network consists of:
3.1.1. A single master net control station (MNCS) located at Andrews AFB MD.
3.1.2. Interstation and intersite circuits.
3.1.3. Relay and auxiliary communications subsystems.
3.2. AFNIC/ENAH:
3.2.1. Oversees the life-cycle management of the MYSTIC STAR Network.
3.2.2. Develops system architecture, network policy, and guidelines in conjunction with DISA.
3.2.3. Oversees the activities of the MYSTIC STAR Ops-Tech Manager?s Office.
3.2.4. Manages the life cycle, future planning, programming, and budgeting of MYSTIC STAR elements from a system perspective.
3.3. The MYSTIC STAR Operations Technical Manager:
3.3.1. Operates from the 789th Communications Squadron (789 CS/SCP), 1558 Alabama Ave, Suite 67, Andrews AFB MD 20762-6116.
3.3.2. Directly interfaces with the MYSTIC STAR users.
3.3.3. Evaluates system facilities.
3.3.4. Assesses network performance.
3.3.5. Compares performance trends to established standards.
3.3.6. Recommends improvements to criteria, documentation, or performance.
3.3.7. Works with personnel on all plans for operating, maintaining, managing, controlling, and configuring the network.
3.3.8. Recommends budgets for network operations.
3.3.9. Reports the operational status, performance status, or limitations of the network to AFNIC/ENAH.
3.3.10. Implements plans and special system configurations.
3.4. The Commander, 89th Communications Group:
3.4.1. Manages, operates, and evaluates the MNCS according to DISA Circular 310-70-79.
3.4.2. Gives network status updates to the MYSTIC STAR system manager through the operations technical manager.
3.4.3. Provides facility, administrative, and logistical support for the MNCS.
http://militarycomms.tripod.com/scope_command/mystic_star.html
STATION CONFIGURATION
Control of the entire Mystic Star network is the function of the Net Control Station (NCS) at Andrews. This includes all HF radio and UHF SATCOM equipment and the associated voice and data circuits. The Mystic Star Communications Management System is a computer controlled electronic switching system.
The MSCMS is comprised of 13 computer equipped consoles. Two computer data base/data communication (DB/DC) modules, primary and backup, are available to each operator. Two color graphics processors provide color graphics support. Two digital switching systems provide interconnectivity within the system. Communications Security (COMSEC) equipment, voice and data modems, and data terminals are available for providing secure communications support. A voice recorder/reproducer allows for the recording of all voice transmissions. A frequency management system, time generating and synchronizing unit, and a maintenance patching facility are the final subsystems that make up the MSCMS.
The equipment subsystems that make up the MSCMS are configured for secure or non-secure operations through a Local Area Network (LAN). The LAN connects all of the equipment within the station. You cannot see the LAN working, but you use it for the distribution of command and control processing functions.
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION
The Mystic Star system consists of eight primary and nine secondary HF radio stations located throughout the world. Each primary station provides four radio levels dedicated for Mystic Star use. Secondary stations provide at least one radio level dedicated for use by Mystic Star. A radio level consists of a transmitter, a receiver, and the associated equipment. A typical primary station consists of a Communications Relay Center (CRC), a transmitter site, and a receiver site. These are connected by transmission lines (buried cable) or microwave transmissions. The CRC consists of consoles, switches, and associated common control equipment.
The eight primary Mystic Star HF stations
Andrews
McClellan
Clark
Salinas
Croughton
Scott
Hickam
Yokota
The nine secondary Mystic Star HF stations and the number of dedicated radio levels each provides are:
Andersen 1
Lajes 1
Albrook 0
Loring 1
Ascension 1
MacDill 1
Elmendorf 1
Thule 0
Incirlik 2
All stations except for Andrews, MacDill, Loring, Salinas, and Scott are GCCS stations. GCCS stations have additional radio levels and operators available if required. The stations at Albrook and Thule are secondary stations when they are activated. They have no dedicated connectivity to the NCS at Andrews. Coordination by telephone with these stations is required to obtain the radio levels you require. The Incirlik station has yet to be brought on-line and is not available at this time.
Satellite communications are provided through Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Remote Switching Units (RSUs). The RSU is a UHF radio satellite ground entry point (GEP) station for the MSCMS. There are four RSU sites that provide the Mystic Star system with global UHF satellite coverage.
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2006/10/mystic-star-network.html
Mystic Star Network
This is a worldwide communications system, operated and maintained by elements of the United States Army, United States Navy, and United States Air Force under the control of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Operations Center. Its network provides worldwide communications by directly controlling radio equipment located at Global HF system stations. It consists of ultra high frequency satellite and HF networks supporting Presidential, Vice President, cabinet members and other senior government officials, Joint Staff, VIP (very important persons) and command airborne missions. The Mystic Star HF network consists of: a single master net control station (MNCS) located at Andrews AFB Maryland, interstation and intersite circuits, and relay and auxiliary communications subsystems. (Source Air Force Instruction 33-106)
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/mystic_star.htm
Source: http://jfkcountercoup.blogspot.com/2012/02/mystic-star-communications-network.html
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
Mophie Juice Pack Reserve
Mophie's Juice Pack battery line offers a variety of options to power up your iDevices when you're away from an outlet. They deliver on-the-go power, but?can be a bit bulky,?the add on phone cases especially. A more-pocket-friendly solution?the Mophie Juice Pack Reserve for iPhone and iPod ($34.95 direct),?could be mistaken for a cigarette lighter?but inside its small shell is an add-on battery that provides a quick burst of power when you're in a bind.
The Juice Pack Reserve is lightweight and compact, measuring just 3.0 by 1.5 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighing 1.6 ounces. The top flips off (think Zippo lighter style) to reveal the 30-pin Apple dock connector.?Along the side is a cleverly hidden USB connector, attached by a rubber strip that tucks neatly into the bottom of the Reserve. On the opposite side is a button to activate the battery status LED, but instead of multiple lights to indicate charge level, the Reserve uses a single LED that changes color depending on the charge. Below the battery button is a key ring, so you can attach it to your keys to prevent it from going missing. The Reserve shares the same soft-touch, rubberized plastic construction as its bigger siblings, the Juice Pack Boost?($49.95, 3 stars) and Juice Pack Powerstation?($79.95, 3 stars). ?
Unlike the Scosche FlipCharge Burst?($49.99, 3 stars), the Reserve cannot simultaneously sync and charge your iDevices.?It packs a 700mAh battery inside, which is a lot smaller than most external batteries. However, much like the FlipCharge Burst, the Reserve is not meant to be a full-on power supply, but rather a quick fix when you really just need a small charge to keep your device going until you can properly charge it. In my tests, the Reserve added 3 hours, 33 minutes of 3G talk time to our Verizon iPhone 4S. The Burst, which has a slightly larger 720mAh battery, added just 3 hours, 17 minutes.
The difference in battery size is negligible, but the design and build quality of the Reserve is better?plus it's $15 cheaper than the flipCharge Burst. It's still a bit pricey for the capacity, but you're paying for portability and attractive packaging. Though it's still too large to take a permanent place on my keychain, I could see throwing the?Juice Pack Reserve in my bag while traveling for an extra boost. If you want a more serious power solution, a battery case, like our Editors' Choice Mophie Juice Pack Plus?($99, 4 stars), is a better bet. It will cost you more, but it will also extend your battery life threefold over the Reserve.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/bvFx3eCM59A/0,2817,2400535,00.asp
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Major Opportunities Using Internet Marketing | inetbusiness.info
The Internet is proving to be the fastest growing avenue in the economic world. Everything in life is becoming a lot easier as we become able to communicate, share information and interact with each other with a few clicks of the button. This is brand new to us. It also now allows us to sell our products online and reach out to a global market of millions by giving our visitors the comfort of shopping online and delivering products right to their doorstep.
Business has never been better. The Internet gives scope to the marketing and the advertising sector by allowing us to reach out to the customers at a very nominal price. We are in control of that price for the most part. Payment can and, most of the time does, depend on the number of visitors and hits we drive to our site. The more visitors, the more we can spend.
Online Marketing and Feedback
These days it?s pretty easy to conduct simple research. It?s also not too hard to get to know your customers. A great deal of research can be undertaken with ease though random surveys and sampling techniques. Apart from that, an effective ad-campaign can be launched fairly inexpensively.
Traffic can be generated quickly. Then, when a lot of the visitors show up, they can turn into potential clients. With a strong marketing campaign in place, those visitors will convert into paying customers. Even if a few products can be introduced, that can increase the business? profits. Thus for a small investment, a good share of profits can be seen.
Methods of Online Marketing
There are many methods where a website and its products can be successfully promoted through linking and different ways of advertising. Many online giants provide such services like Google Adsense which can be taken up at a nominal rate to advertise your site all over the net. There are other ways to get the action desired as well. Search engine optimization, forum threading, and advertisements through articles or feed newsletters are all still working in the Internet Marketing world. It would be a good idea to use one or more of these.
Social Networking Websites For Online Advertising
There are many social networking websites that are a rage these days and allow millions of users to link up and interact with their family and friends while entertaining themselves online. Such networking websites like Facebook and YouTube host advertisements for a reasonable price and allow most of the online business websites to reach out to the people on a personal level and attract potential clients through the online games, forums, groups and communities.
A good product will be talked about with the links being shared a lot easier using social networking sites because people are already in the space of those they know, like, and trust. And those are the same people who will be sharing the products/links. The teenage crowd does this with hyper-action. Many products which are intended for teenagers are usually made popular and ?cool? through this method only. Networking sites are helpful in other ways too. A lot of them make surveys available, and conduct unique studies that attract people of diverse countries, cultures and ethnicities to give accurate sampling results which usually help develop effective marketing strategies.
These are all helpful statistics that can be used to ratchet up your internet marketing strength.
?
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Saturday, February 25, 2012
Travel ? Crazy Methods to Traverse Earth these days
Hold onto your hats people, because, if you are into travel, your choices are likely to shoot over the top over the following decade approximately. New trends happen to be distributing, while some are germinating within the minds in our state-of-the-art travel gurus and CEOs.
1) Increasingly more top-ranked hotels are changing themselves into yoga retreats, fitness gyms, wellness nests and broad-varying health spa resorts. And hotels such as these are progressively developing their choices into affordable packages that the middle-class are able to afford.
2) Can you believe the area of medical tourism keeps growing? Various methods, including skilled and intricate cosmetic surgery is way less costly in certain nations, a lot of are visiting ?hospitals? with lodging to rival any four-star hotel and returning home nipped and hidden having a completely new look.
3) Middle-class vacationers are finding that cruise ships are no more holidays restricted to the affluent. All-inclusive cruise packages have the ability to possess lodging, day care programs, entertainment, limitless food options, on-shoreline activities, and much more for around what it really would cost to accept family on a holiday to Disney.
4) Custom choices for the affluent are spreading. You are able to book exclusive land outings detailed for your full desires. You are able to cruise on the yacht by having an intimate group around the Rhine, the Volga River or perhaps the Mekong.
5) An agenda is incorporated in the works best for an underwater hotel known as Hydropolis in Dubai from the coast of Jumeirah. Just in case you did not know, Dubai may be the second biggest from the incredibly wealthy U . s . Arab Emirates. Your accommodation will contain a facility on land, a hooking up tunnel, along with a submarine complex. The complex includes luxurious underwater villas, a ballroom, a health spa, restaurants, and shops.
6) Luxury Pod hotels are transportable facilities that focus on wherever the most popular tourist spots are globe-wide. These coffee pods are built on stilts, their very own waste disposal system, harness photo voltaic pv cells for energy, and contain quality rooms for just about any tourist?s budget. Quite simply, visitors could helicopter towards the Australian jungle. If, a couple of years later, the place grew to become Beijing, China, the pod might be moved there, departing merely a small mark around the atmosphere.
7) Helium-filled airship hotels are extremely possible now. These will meld the sun and rain of heat balloon, cruiseship, and plane into an airship which will cruise in a leisurely pace over large areas. Discuss awe-inspiring sights!
Expert, Howard Wolff, claims that holiday space travel is originating right up. The obstacle isn?t technology-it?s only an problem of money and time. The very first hotel wide will in all probability be considered a mixed-use project with commercial and research programs. Certain parts from the hotel may have partial Earth gravity, other areas is going to be weightless conditions where visitors can float around in sheer bliss.
Are you currently the adventurous questing type or are you going to continually be perfectly quite happy with a few days in the nearest theme park? If you are looking at traveling where no visitor went before, don?t watch a rerun of Star Wars?subscribe to one of these simple completely new modes of travel zooming the right path.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
Video: The Politics of Gas Prices
Is President Obama taking a page from the Republican playbook on energy policy? Bruce Vincent, Swift Energy president, and Michael Brune, Sierra Club, weigh in. Also, discussing whether the high price of energy will tank the economy, with Joe LaVorgn...
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46506125/
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Loose cable blamed for speedy neutrinos
Faster-than-light flight saga ends predictably
Web edition : Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Faulty wiring has been proposed as the glitch that caused a European physics experiment to clock particles flying faster than light.
Scientists at Italy?s OPERA experiment reported in September that nearly weightless particles called neutrinos were apparently traveling from the CERN laboratory on the Swiss-French border to an underground detector in Italy, 730 kilometers away, faster than the speed of light. The apparent violation of Einstein?s theory of special relativity immediately produced a chorus of theorists offering reasons why neutrinos simply could not be going that fast (SN: 11/5/11, p. 10). ?
?It was always clear to me that the results could not have been true,? says Nobel Prize-winner Sheldon Glashow, a physicist at Boston University and an early critic of the finding.
Yet during a second run of the experiment in November, neutrinos again appeared to arrive in Italy 60 nanoseconds earlier than light covering the same distance in a vacuum would have (SN: 10/22/11, p. 18).
On February 23 the OPERA team announced what might be causing the surprising observations: A bad connection with a cable that relays satellite GPS signals to keep the experiment?s clocks in sync could have made each particle?s trip seem to take less time than it actually did. ?
With technical problems clouding its results, the OPERA team will tighten its cables and repeat the experiment. MINOS, a neutrino experiment run by Fermilab near Chicago, will also go ahead with plans to time neutrinos sent from there to Minnesota.
?We should have been more cautious in the way we framed the results,? says Luca Stanco, a physicist who works on OPERA at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Padua, Italy. ?Now we are a little embarrassed.?
Found in: Atom & Cosmos and Matter & Energy
Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338735/title/Loose_cable_blamed_for_speedy_neutrinos
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Flash roadmap reveals new features, improved GPU support, lack of retirement plans
Flash roadmap reveals new features, improved GPU support, lack of retirement plans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Latino group: Investigate gay Ariz. sheriff
By msnbc.com and The Associated Press
PHOENIX - A Latino rights organization has asked for a federal investigation into an Arizona sheriff seeking the Republican nomination for a congressional seat who was forced to confirm he is gay amid allegations of misconduct made by a Mexican immigrant with whom he had a relationship.
The group, Respect Respeto, on Monday sent a request to the U.S. Department of Justice for a probe into Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu for abuse of power.
Babeu confirmed he is gay Saturday and resigned from presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's Arizona committee amid his ex-lover's allegations. He denied claims he tried to threaten the man, a former campaign volunteer, with deportation if their past relationship was made public.
Respect Respeto wants the sheriff investigated on behalf of every immigrant who has been threatened with deportation.
The group alleges in its request to the Justice Department that Babeu made "text messages, pictures and threats that are unbecoming of an elected sheriff."
The letter, signed by the group's director, Lydia Guzman, reads, "The?threat came from the top law enforcement officer in Pinal County, a person who?s sworn to protect and serve victims of crime. These types of threats and acts of intimidation send a horrible message to the migrant community that they cannot look to their law enforcement agencies for protection when they are victims of a crime."
The group could not be reached by msnbc.com on Tuesday.
Ariz. sheriff quits Romney campaign, says: 'I'm gay'
Babeu, who was elected in 2008 as the first Republican sheriff of Pinal County,?has gained national media attention for speaking out against illegal immigration and the unsecured U.S. border with Mexico.
On Monday, Babeu told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he was the victim, and that his ex-lover, identified publicly only as "Jose," "wanted to harm me."
Jose --?who Politico reported on Tuesday is a 34-year-old Mexican national living in the US legally -- had volunteered as a social media manager for Babeu's campaign websites. Babeu alleged Jose tweeted photos of him and posted "very negative things about me, posing as me."
The photos had been sent to Jose for "personal consumption," he said.
Babeu faces primary elections in Arizona on Aug. 28. He claims Jose's actions were politically motivated.
"There were several crimes committed here against me and my campaign," Babeu said. "All I wanted done is for this to stop."
The two men met on gay.com in 2006.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Cognitive rehabilitation improves brain performance in patients with MS
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 22-Feb-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Linda Brooks
lbrooks@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America
OAK BROOK, Ill. In a new study published in the March issue of Radiology, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that cognitive rehabilitation changes brain function and improves cognitive performance in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).
"These results prompt the use of specific computer-based rehabilitation programs to treat deficits in selected neuropsychological domains in patients with relapsing-remitting MS," said the study's lead author, Massimo Filippi, M.D., professor of neurology at the San Raffaele Vita-Salute University and director of the "BrainMap" interdepartmental research program and the Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. "They also suggest that fMRI might provide useful metrics to monitor the effects of rehab in MS."
MS is a nervous system disease affecting the brain and spinal cord. MS damages a material called the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve cells. This damage disrupts messages between the brain and other parts of the body, leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness, coordination and balance difficulties, numbness, problems with vision, memory loss and other cognitive issues. MS affects women more than men and often becomes symptomatic between the ages of 20 and 40.
In relapsing-remitting MS, the most common type, patients experience a series of attacks followed by partial or complete disappearance of symptoms. The interval between relapses can range from weeks to years.
Cognitive impairment affects a large proportion of patients with MS in the areas of attention, information processing, executive functions, memory and visual-spatial abilities. Cognitive dysfunction impacts a range of activities, including work, driving and social integration.
For the study, Dr. Filippi and colleagues recruited 20 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Patients were randomized into two groups of 10. The first group received a 12-week program of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation of attention and information processing and executive functions, and the second (control) group received no cognitive rehabilitation.
Aspects of the rehabilitation program included a day-planning task, which employed realistic simulations of a set of scheduled dates and duties to address the patient's ability to organize, plan and develop solution strategies; and an attention task requiring the patient to simulate driving a train, carefully observing the control panel of the train and the countryside while encountering several distractions at increasing levels of difficulty.
All of the patients underwent neuropsychological assessment and MRI exams at baseline and after 12 weeks. As compared to their performance at baseline, the patients in the treatment group improved in tests of attention and information processing and executive functions. The fMRI results showed modifications in activity in several brain regions in the rehabilitation group, compared to the non-rehabilitation group. These fMRI modifications were correlated with cognitive improvement.
Analysis after cognitive rehabilitation found no structural changes in the gray matter or normal-appearing white matter of the brain in the treatment group.
"The findings demonstrated that computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation in patients with MS results in an improvement of the trained cognitive functions," Dr. Filippi said. "However, the structural integrity of the brain's gray matter and white matter showed no modifications in these patients, suggesting an impairment of structural plasticity."
###
"Multiple Sclerosis: Effects of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Structural and Functional MR Imaging MeasuresAn Explorative Study." Collaborating with Dr. Filippi were Gianna Riccitelli, Ph.D., Flavia Mattioli, M.D., Ruggero Capra, M.D., Chiara Stampatori, Ph.D., Elisabetta Pagani, M.Sc., Paola Valsasina, M.Sc., Massimiliano Copetti, Ph.D., Andrea Falini, M.D., Giancarlo Comi, M.D., and Maria Assunta Rocca, M.D.
Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://radiology.rsna.org/)
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
For patient-friendly information on fMRI, visit RadiologyInfo.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.
Public release date: 22-Feb-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Linda Brooks
lbrooks@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America
OAK BROOK, Ill. In a new study published in the March issue of Radiology, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that cognitive rehabilitation changes brain function and improves cognitive performance in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).
"These results prompt the use of specific computer-based rehabilitation programs to treat deficits in selected neuropsychological domains in patients with relapsing-remitting MS," said the study's lead author, Massimo Filippi, M.D., professor of neurology at the San Raffaele Vita-Salute University and director of the "BrainMap" interdepartmental research program and the Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. "They also suggest that fMRI might provide useful metrics to monitor the effects of rehab in MS."
MS is a nervous system disease affecting the brain and spinal cord. MS damages a material called the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve cells. This damage disrupts messages between the brain and other parts of the body, leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness, coordination and balance difficulties, numbness, problems with vision, memory loss and other cognitive issues. MS affects women more than men and often becomes symptomatic between the ages of 20 and 40.
In relapsing-remitting MS, the most common type, patients experience a series of attacks followed by partial or complete disappearance of symptoms. The interval between relapses can range from weeks to years.
Cognitive impairment affects a large proportion of patients with MS in the areas of attention, information processing, executive functions, memory and visual-spatial abilities. Cognitive dysfunction impacts a range of activities, including work, driving and social integration.
For the study, Dr. Filippi and colleagues recruited 20 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Patients were randomized into two groups of 10. The first group received a 12-week program of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation of attention and information processing and executive functions, and the second (control) group received no cognitive rehabilitation.
Aspects of the rehabilitation program included a day-planning task, which employed realistic simulations of a set of scheduled dates and duties to address the patient's ability to organize, plan and develop solution strategies; and an attention task requiring the patient to simulate driving a train, carefully observing the control panel of the train and the countryside while encountering several distractions at increasing levels of difficulty.
All of the patients underwent neuropsychological assessment and MRI exams at baseline and after 12 weeks. As compared to their performance at baseline, the patients in the treatment group improved in tests of attention and information processing and executive functions. The fMRI results showed modifications in activity in several brain regions in the rehabilitation group, compared to the non-rehabilitation group. These fMRI modifications were correlated with cognitive improvement.
Analysis after cognitive rehabilitation found no structural changes in the gray matter or normal-appearing white matter of the brain in the treatment group.
"The findings demonstrated that computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation in patients with MS results in an improvement of the trained cognitive functions," Dr. Filippi said. "However, the structural integrity of the brain's gray matter and white matter showed no modifications in these patients, suggesting an impairment of structural plasticity."
###
"Multiple Sclerosis: Effects of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Structural and Functional MR Imaging MeasuresAn Explorative Study." Collaborating with Dr. Filippi were Gianna Riccitelli, Ph.D., Flavia Mattioli, M.D., Ruggero Capra, M.D., Chiara Stampatori, Ph.D., Elisabetta Pagani, M.Sc., Paola Valsasina, M.Sc., Massimiliano Copetti, Ph.D., Andrea Falini, M.D., Giancarlo Comi, M.D., and Maria Assunta Rocca, M.D.
Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://radiology.rsna.org/)
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
For patient-friendly information on fMRI, visit RadiologyInfo.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.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/rson-cri021512.php
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Muscle Building Diet | Get Slimmer, Fitter And Healthier With The ...
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Home / Muscle Building Diet / Muscle Building Diet | Get Slimmer, Fitter And Healthier With The Much Anticipated Launch Of Weightplan.com Online
Home / Muscle Building Diet / Muscle Building Diet | Get Slimmer, Fitter And Healthier With The Much Anticipated Launch Of Weightplan.com Online
LONDON, February 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ?
This week sees health fitness website Weightplan.com launch the latest addition to their much acclaimed product range ? an online 360 weight management system.Building on the run-away success of Gym Training for iPhone, the website combines expert diet and fitness plans with best in class food and activity tracking, and is designed to help members get into the shape of their lives. Written by a team of top health and fitness professionals, Weightplan.com helps its members take control of their body weight whether they want to slim down, tone up or maintain their weight.
(Photo: )
Many people don?t realise the importance of good nutrition, especially when trying to diet, lose fat or build muscle. Weightplan provide nutrition plans to support the individual needs of members to put them at the top of their game. Members can monitor their own nutrient breakdown from the foods that they eat to ensure they are getting a healthy balanced diet. With flexible meal and activity plans, hundreds of recipes and exercises and no banned foods or restrictions, you can choose to balance your calories in the easiest most effective way for you. Additionally, with over 40 multi-day workouts designed for all fitness levels, there?s something for those new to exercise right through to the gym elite. Weightplan is a safe alternative when compared to many fad diets and can be used to support long and short periods of weight loss or provide nutritional support for an exercise regime.
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Commenting on the launch,Andrew Barham, Pharmacist and CEO of Weightplan said ?With predicted rises in global obesity, and increasingly inactive lifestyles I feel passionate that good nutrition and exercise advice should be accessible to everyone. It?s often overlooked, but it?s a fact that you get better results out of the gym, personal trainers, slimming or sports activity by pairing nutrition with fitness. Weightplan offers a simple solution to total wellbeing incorporating a three-pronged health, food and fitness approach. By better understanding your choices, then making small changes to your food habits and daily activity we can all vastly improve our health and fitness.?
The future looks bright for Weightplan. For more information on Health, Food and Fitness go to Weightplan.com .
Click here to view rest of article from original site
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DSC Business Ethics Forum on the St. George Chamber of ...
ST. GEORGE ? ?Dixie State College continues its bi-monthly noontime Business and Ethics Forum series this Thursday featuring a presentation on ?The State of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce,? ?presented by the Chamber?s executive director, Gregg McArthur.
Gregg McArthur, executive director St. George Chamber of Commerce, Utah | Photo courtesy of Dixie State College Public Relations
The Business and Ethics Forum is presented every other Thursday throughout DSC?s spring semester, and is held in the Boeing Auditorium (Room 121) of the DSC Udvar-Hazy Business Building. Everyone is welcome and admission is free.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition | Home ...
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition - Strengthen your back, chest, biceps, shoulders, abs, and more in the comfort of your living room or dorm with the Iron Gym Extreme Edition workout bar. An upgraded version of the original Iron Gym, the Extreme Edition boasts two additional grip positions for a total of five: the default narrow, neutral, and wide positions of the first Iron Gym, plus alternate wide and side grips. When installed in the doorway, the device lets you perform pull-ups and chin-ups, with several options for working the inner and outer back. Once you're done with your back workout, you can quickly move the Iron Gym to the floor, where you can perform pushups while facing down, tricep dips while facing the other way, or sit-ups using the Iron Gym for foot stability
See Details >>
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If you?re looking for top recommended Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition, then Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition is our suggestion. Many good reviews already proving the quality of this product. The Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition completed with a lot of capabilities which makes it great product. If you wish to know further of this location finding tools, just read its main features below.
- Upper body workout bar designed to strengthen your chest, shoulders, back, arms, and more
- Installs in doorway for pull-ups and chin-ups, or sits on floor for pushups, dips, and sit-ups
- Sturdy steel frame mounts quickly and removes easily without tools or fasteners
- Fits conveniently in residential doorways 24 to 34 inches wide, with 3.5-inch trim/molding
- 5 total grip positions for versatile workouts; holds up to 300 pounds
If this is a MUST HAVE product, be sure order now to avoid disappointment. Get The best cheapest price on the web we have searched. Click Here and get the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition rihgt now
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Source: http://homefitnessequipmentsport.blogspot.com/2012/02/iron-gym-total-upper-body-workout-bar.html
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Sunday, February 19, 2012
Using Feet Detox Pads To Get A Lean Body
There?s been lots of buzz recently in regards to a new fad: feet detox pads. The commercials declare that these small pads assistance to cleanse the body and enhance your health. What is your opinion? This information will be analyzing feet detox pads and why you need to rely on them.
Feet detox pads are advantageous for anybody who?s searching to enhance their health. Everyone has occasions if we are maintaining a healthy diet and working out, but we still appear to plateau and therefore are not able to achieve the perfect health we would like. Individuals leveling off occur due to problems internally which are beyond our control. Feet detox pads will help you work through that time by getting rid of harmful toxins out of your body to assistance with natural healing processes.
You might question how these dangerous harmful toxins experienced the body. Harmful toxins have been in our atmosphere everywhere we go. The continual contact with these harmful toxins cause our physiques to soak up them into our systems. The environment we breathe, water we refreshments we eat are uncovered to chemicals and metals that collect as harmful toxins within our body.
Feet detox pads really are a all natural solution to get rid of harmful toxins. They contain only natural elements which have been found to lightly cleanse the body. Lots of people would rather put on the feet detox pads when they sleep, it?s the simplest and many relaxing method to enhance your health!
It might appear just like a silly method to enhance your health, but feet detox pads happen to be proven to enhance energy and vitality in those who decide to put on them. The detox pads use the reflexology points within the soles of the ft. Whenever you place the pads on, natural elements which are included in the pads interact with the pores of the ft and lightly remove the harmful toxins inside a concentrated type of sweat.
If you?re searching for an easy method to enhance your health, feet detox pads might be the solution. Eating well and working out are great for your health, however they are only able to enable you to get to date? using feet detox pads will assist you to complete your health regimen and there is a well-being you would like.
Source: http://fitness-foot-health.chailit.com/using-feet-detox-pads-to-get-a-lean-body.html
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Stocks edge higher, Dow nears 13,000 mark
By msnbc.com news services
Wall Street stocks edged higher at Friday?s open on optimism about Greece's bailout, but the day?s gains could be small as investors appeared ready to take a breather after the S&P 500 posted its best daily gain in two weeks.
Investor sentiment improved after euro-zone officials said the finishing touches were being put on the bailout package, which would include a debt-swap deal that cuts the value of bonds held by financial firms by about 70 percent.
But the market was likely to show signs of fatigue after the S&P rose to a 9-month high on Thursday, pushing above technical resistance level toward 1360. Also, the the Dow Jones industrial average is nearing the psychologically-important 13,000 mark.
Data showed U.S. consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in January, the most in four months, highlighting concerns of growing energy costs, but market reaction was muted.
"What this does is alleviate any argument inviting (more quantitative easing)," said Todd Schoenberger, managing director at Landcolt Trading in Wilmington, Delaware. "But all eyes are on Greece so this shouldn't have an impact on trading."
President Barack Obama will stay focused on China on Friday with an announcement of streamlined financing for U.S. exporters that compete against foreign firms that are afforded "unfair advantages," White House officials said.
Apple Inc's share of China's booming smartphone market slipped for a second straight quarter in October-December as it lost ground to cheaper local brands and as some shoppers held off until after the iPhone 4S launch last month.
Diversified U.S. conglomerate 3M Co is topping up staff pension plans with $800 million to $1 billion cash in 2012 as falling discount rates inflate its long-term liabilities, becoming the latest American company to inject cash into under funded retirement plans.
Applied Materials Inc shares were higher in premarket trades a day after the release of their first-quarter results.
U.S.-listed shares of Baidu Inc fell 1.4 percent following its results late on Thursday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10434335-stocks-edge-higher-dow-nears-13000-mark
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Saturday, February 18, 2012
Mardi Gras means fat business for Gulf Coast
Revelers with the Mystic Stripers toss trinkets to the crowds gathered on Royal Street in Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. The pre-Lenten blowout continues along the Gulf Coast culminating in Fat Tuesday celebrations February 21. (AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT; NO SALES
Revelers with the Mystic Stripers toss trinkets to the crowds gathered on Royal Street in Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. The pre-Lenten blowout continues along the Gulf Coast culminating in Fat Tuesday celebrations February 21. (AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT; NO SALES
Revelers with the Mystic Stripers toss trinkets to the crowds gathered on Royal Street in Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. The pre-Lenten blowout continues along the Gulf Coast culminating in Fat Tuesday celebrations February 21. (AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT; NO SALES
A reveler with the Mystic Stripers holds aloft a handful of beads for the crowds gathered on Royal Street in Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. The pre-Lenten blowout continues along the Gulf Coast culminating in Fat Tuesday celebrations February 21. (AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT; NO SALES
A reveler with the Mystic Stripers tosses trinkets to the crowds gathered on Royal Street in Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. The pre-Lenten blowout continues along the Gulf Coast culminating in Fat Tuesday celebrations February 21. (AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT; NO SALES
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) ? Mardi Gras. It brings to mind beads, parties and fancy floats in New Orleans as people cram in all the fun they can before Lent begins.
In reality, Mardi Gras has long been celebrated in coastal towns from Texas to Florida. And it means big business.
"It is more of a regional thing, Mardi Gras is, from Texas down to Gasparilla (pirate festival) down in the Tampa area," said Stephen Toomey, whose family started a chain of Mobile, Ala.-based Mardi Gras party supply stores.
"It means a way of life for people who live in these communities, but the bottom line is that it creates a lot of jobs."
Tourism leaders estimate more than 1 million visitors pour into the Mobile area each Mardi Gras season to watch the festivities. The city claims to be the place where the Fat Tuesday celebration originated in the U.S. back in the early 1700s.
New Orleans and Mobile have long disputed where the tradition that dates to their French founders really began.
Visitors to Mobile spend money at hotels, restaurants and stores during the celebration that can stretch weeks and includes dozens of parades, balls and other events.
A 2004 study commissioned by the city of Mobile estimated Mardi Gras had a $225 million economic impact for the area and tourism leaders say that has grown as the festivities become more popular.
"I would say tens of thousands of dollars are spent on the different beads and throws and things that are thrown off the floats. It really benefits every kind of retailer and the tourism industry," said David Randel, president of the Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"From a convention and visitors bureau standpoint, you hope people come for Mardi Gras, fall in love with the area and come back to visit again when the weather is better."
In smaller towns like Fairhope, population 17,000, Mardi Gras is a big help.
Heavenly Creations Bakery sold 1,500 traditional Mardi Gras king cakes in 2011. Owner Robyn Yoder hopes to beat that this year. The colorful cakes go for $9.99 for a small and $19.99 for a large.
"Mardi Gras is good for everyone. I think it brings more people downtown and it brings more people in. It's a boost in sales and it does a lot for all of us, more tips for the girls who work, it's good," she said.
Rosie Miller has sold Mardi Gras ball gowns to the women of the Gulf Coast for 30 years. She has thousands of gowns, most for under $300.
"Poufy Gowns this year are really in," Miller said as she pulled a gown from one the dozens of racks in a back room of her Mobile store on a recent morning.
Miller said Mardi Gras gowns are usually over-the-top and are more fun than traditional formal.
The store has vanloads of women from small towns all over the region who come to shop. Some buy five or six gowns for the various balls they attend during the season.
"Mardi Gras has grown and grown and brings millions of dollars into our economy," she said, although she didn't have specific figures.
People who might go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras sometimes drive east and include a beach trip to Pensacola, Fla., said Valeria Lento, spokeswoman for Visit Pensacola.
Lento said Mardi Gras drives up the town's tourism numbers during its traditional pre-spring break down time.
And the city offers lots of Mardi Gras activities to bring in tourists.
Small towns all over the Gulf Coast have parades, balls and other festivities during Carnival Season. Pensacola Beach's 2012 Mardi Gras' Schedule includes 16 events from Jan. 7 to Feb. 21.
Among them are a Moon Pie party, a red beans and rice lunch, a "Kids and Kritters" parade and a shoe box float contest.
"Oh yeah, Mardi is a ball, absolutely, it's fun," said Jill Jones, who dressed her Afghan hound up in a headband, jester collar and cape and wore a matching costume during the beach's pet parade this month.
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