Thursday, April 11, 2013

Snow's melting: Time to find budget hiking boots

By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

The Merrell Moab Ventilator is a low-cut hiking shoe, an increasingly popular and affordable alternative to higher-cut boots.

April showers and spring snowmelt signal that it?s time to trade in ski boots and snowshoes for hiking boots. Of course, those harbingers of warm weather also turn hiking trails to muck. Opt for a cut-rate pair of boots, and you could easily wind up with wet, blistered feet and a muddy rump. You could also wind up with a high-quality hiking shoe or even a reliable mid-cut boot for under $100.

Cheapism.com has highlighted four top picks, all of which come in men?s and women?s versions.

  • The Merrell Moab Ventilator (starting at $72) has been labeled an excellent value in side-by-side comparisons by outdoor gear experts. This is a supportive hiking shoe that grips the trail with deep 5-millimeter lugs, or treads, yet it?s lightweight and very comfortable, according to online reviews. While the Ventilator is not waterproof (pricier Moab models are), it has a highly breathable mesh upper that allows it to dry out quickly in warm weather. The namesake ventilation further helps prevent blisters by airing out hot, sweaty feet. (Where to buy)
  • The Keen Alamosa WP (starting at $72) caters to hikers who prefer a waterproof shoe. In this price range the term is often used loosely, but reviewers verify that the waterproof membrane that lines this shoe prevents water from leaking through. They also note the sturdy yet extremely lightweight construction, including durable, suede-like nubuck leather and a rubber bumper on the toe. (Where to buy)
  • The mid-cut L.L. Bean Waterproof Trail Model Hikers (starting at $90) are classic hiking boots that come up higher on the ankle to provide additional support and protection. The mid-cut design alone is often enough to price a shoe over $100 and this budget pair is waterproof to boot (no pun intended). Again, numerous reviewers vouch for the effectiveness of the waterproof lining. (Where to buy)
  • The Salomon Synapse (starting at $60) is uniquely designed for trail running, or for covering a lot of ground quickly. The midsole is tilted downward, toward the toe, to propel the wearer forward. A record holder who completed the fastest end-to-end hike of the Appalachian Trail wore these inexpensive shoes to accomplish her feat. Novices, too, have found them durable and supremely comfortable. (Where to buy)

Light hiking shoes dominate the low end of the market and have become a popular alternative to heavy-duty backpacking boots. A multi-day trip with a heavy pack over rough, uneven terrain calls for a burly boot with a higher price tag. But for day hikes that don?t venture off the trail, many hikers prefer nimbler footwear. While that often means a low-cut shoe, a few mid-cut boots, such as L.L. Bean?s Trail Model Hikers, offer similarly light weight and low cost.

Another hallmark of this type of shoe is a sole that?s supportive without being too stiff. All four pairs listed above manage to walk that line, reviewers say. They feature foot beds made from cushy EVA, or ethylene vinyl acetate. However, nothing will make a boot comfortable if it doesn?t fit correctly. Outside magazine explains exactly how to find the right one for you.

Related from Cheapism:
Cheap hiking boots buying guide
Cheap tent recommendations
The best cheap binoculars
Sleeping bag reviews and recommendations

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White House celebrates the sounds of Memphis soul

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House is celebrating the history and sound of Memphis soul music.

Legendary artist and younger acts, ranging from Sam Moore and Mavis Staples to Ben Harper and Justin Timberlake, were rehearsing at the White House on Tuesday to help President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama highlight that style of music at an evening concert.

Students from around the country participated in a workshop with some of the artists.

The event is the 10th installment in the "In Performance at the White House" series. It is scheduled for broadcast April 16 on PBS stations.

Starting in February 2009, the series has celebrated the music of Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Hispanic music, music from the civil-rights era, Motown and the blues, Broadway and country music.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-celebrates-sounds-memphis-soul-164730499.html

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Paul: GOP faces 'daunting task' with black voters

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that Republicans face long odds in connecting with black voters and are often cast as unsympathetic to the needs of blacks and minorities ? something he says the party needs to change.

Paul, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, said in a speech at Howard University that the Republican party was rooted in the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and efforts to rid the South of oppressive Jim Crow laws. He expressed hope that black voters would be more open to Republicans, pointing to policies promoting school choice, economic opportunity and the decriminalization of drug laws.

"Republicans face a daunting task. Several generations of black voters have never voted Republican and are not very open to considering the option," Paul said. By speaking at Howard, Paul said he hoped students would "hear me out ? that you will see me for who I am, not the caricature sometimes presented by political opponents."

Paul's speech to black students and faculty members at the historically black university was emblematic of Republicans' efforts to attract a broader swath of voters following President Barack Obama's re-election. Obama, the nation's first black president, received more than 9 in 10 votes from blacks in 2008 and 2012 and strong support among Latinos, prompting Republicans to discuss ways of broadening their outreach to minorities.

The Kentucky senator, an eye doctor and son of libertarian-leaning former Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, was briefly interrupted during his speech by a young man who unfurled a banner that said the university does not support "white supremacy." The man was removed from the auditorium.

Paul faced questions during his 2010 Senate campaign when he expressed misgivings about how the Civil Rights Act bans racial discrimination by private businesses. Asked about his position on the 1964 legislation, passed under the presidency of Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson, Paul told the students he had never opposed the Civil Rights Act.

He argued that many Democrats had opposed civil rights in the South during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt but many black voters became impatient with Republicans in the years that followed over economic policies. He said Democrats offer "unlimited federal assistance" and policies that put "food on the table but too often, I think, don't lead to jobs and meaningful success."

Paul said using taxes to "punish the rich" hurts everyone in the economy, along with more regulations and higher debt. "Big government is not a friend of African-Americans," he said.

Many students said they didn't agree with Paul on many issues but gave him credit for speaking to them. "It could be very intimidating. You're sitting in a room with people who don't support you for the most part so I do give him credit for coming," said Tasia Hawkins, an 18-year-old freshman from New York.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paul-gop-faces-daunting-task-black-voters-155805970--election.html

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Thatcher biography due out after funeral

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stands in a British tank during a visit to British forces in Fallingbostel, some 120km (70 miles) south of Hamburg, Germany. on Sept. 17, 1986. Thatchers former spokesman, Tim Bell, said that the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had died Monday morning, April 8, 2013, of a stroke. She was 87.(AP Photo/Jockel Fink)

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stands in a British tank during a visit to British forces in Fallingbostel, some 120km (70 miles) south of Hamburg, Germany. on Sept. 17, 1986. Thatchers former spokesman, Tim Bell, said that the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had died Monday morning, April 8, 2013, of a stroke. She was 87.(AP Photo/Jockel Fink)

(AP) ? The first volume of Margaret Thatcher's authorized biography will be published immediately after her funeral.

Allen Lane, which is part of Penguin Books, said Monday that "Not for Turning" by Charles Moore was commissioned in 1997 on the understanding that it would not be published during the former British prime minister's lifetime.

Thatcher died from a stroke Monday morning at age 87. Her funeral is expected to be held at some point next week.

Moore was given full access to Thatcher's private papers and interviewed her extensively. The publisher said that Thatcher also supported requests for interviews with others, including those who worked most closely with her and her family.

Permission was also granted to former and existing civil servants to speak freely about the Thatcher years.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-08-Britain-Thatcher%20Biography/id-7f833bfd419d492ab26d9003d08d9698

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Iraqi al-Qaeda and Syria militants announce formal merger

Stringer / Reuters

A fighter from the Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra holds an Islamist flag in Raqqa province, eastern Syria, in this March 12, 2013 photo. The Iraqi wing of al-Qaeda announced on Tuesday that Nusra was now its Syrian branch and the two groups would operate under one name -- the Islamic State in Iraq. The flag reads "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."

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By Bassem Mroue and Maamoun Youssef, The Associated Press

Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq said it has merged with Syria's extremist Jabhat al-Nusra, a move that shows the rising confidence of radicals within the Syrian rebel movement and is likely to trigger renewed fears among its international backers.

A website linked to Jabhat al-Nusra confirmed on Tuesday the merger with the Islamic State of Iraq, whose leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, first made the announcement in a 21-minute audio message posted on militant websites late Monday.

Jabhat al-Nusra has taken an ever-bigger role in Syria's conflict over the past year, fighting in key battles and staging several large suicide bombings. The U.S. has designated it a terrorist organization.?

The Syrian group has made little secret of its links across the Iraqi border but until now it has not officially declared itself to be part of al-Qaeda.

Al-Baghdadi said that his group ? the Islamic State of Iraq ? and Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra will now be known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

"It is time to announce to the Levantine people and the whole world that Jabhat al-Nusra is merely an extension and part of the Islamic State of Iraq," he said.

He said that the Iraqi group was providing half of its budget to the conflict in Syria. Al-Baghdadi said that the Syrian group would have no separate leader but instead be led by the "people of Syria themselves" ? implying that he would be in charge in both countries.

The formal merger of such a high-profile Syrian rebel group with al-Qaeda is likely to spark concerns among backers of the opposition who are enemies of the global terror network, including both Western countries and Gulf Arab states.

It may increase resentment of Jabhat al-Nusra among other rebel factions. Rebels have until now respected the radical group's fighters for their prowess on the battlefield, but a merger with al-Qaeda will complicate any effort to send arms to rebels from abroad.

Website confirms
A website linked to Jabhat al-Nusra known as al-Muhajir al-Islami ? the Islamic emigrant ? confirmed the merger.

The authenticity of neither message could be independently confirmed, but statements posted on major militant websites are rarely disputed by extremist groups afterward.

Jabhat al-Nusra emerged as an offshoot of Iraq's al-Qaeda branch in early 2012, as one of a patchwork of disparate rebel groups in Syria.

One of the most dramatic attacks by the group came on March 4, when 48 Syrian soldiers were killed in a well-coordinated ambush after seeking refuge across the frontier in Iraq following clashes with rebels on the Syrian side of the border. The attack occurred in Iraq's restive western province of Anbar, where al-Qaeda is known to be active.

A top Iraqi intelligence official told The Associated Press in Baghdad that Iraq has always known that "al-Qaeda in Iraq is directing Jabhat al-Nusra."

He said they announced their unity because of "political, logistical and geographical circumstance." The official said Iraqi authorities will take "strict security measures to strike them."

In an editorial published Tuesday in the Washington Post, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned that a "Syria controlled in whole or part by al-Qaeda and its affiliates ? an outcome that grows more likely by the day ? would be more dangerous to both our countries than anything we've seen up to now."

Iraqi officials say the jihadi groups are sharing three military training compounds, logistics, intelligence and weapons as they grow in strength around the Syria-Iraq border, particularly in a sprawling region called al-Jazeera, which they are trying to turn into a border sanctuary they can both exploit. It could serve as a base of operations to strike on either side of the border.

Baghdad officials said last week they have requested U.S. drone strikes against the fighters in Iraqi territory. A U.S. official confirmed that elements within the Iraqi government had inquired about drone strikes. But the official said the U.S. was waiting to respond until the top level of Iraqi leadership makes a formal request, which has not happened yet.

All officials spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to give official statements to the media.

Eastern Syria and western Iraq have a predominantly Sunni Muslim population like most of the rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad, who belongs to the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The Baghdad government is dominated by Shiites, who are a majority in Iraq.

Suicide bombing in Damascus
The announcement came hours after a suicide car bomber struck Monday in the financial heart of Syria's capital, Damascus, killing at least 15 people and damaging the nearby Central Bank.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but such operations have been claimed by Jabhat al-Nusra in the past.

State-run Al-Ikhbariyeh TV quoted Central Bank Gov. Adib Mayaleh as saying the bank returned to work as usual at 1 p.m. Tuesday (1000 GMT) "despite the destruction" caused by the bombing.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry sent two letters to the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council protesting the Damascus explosion, blaming "terrorists" who "receive financial and logistic support from regional states and other foreign nations."

The Syrian National Coalition, the country's main opposition group, blamed Assad's regime for the bombing, saying, "The intent is clearly to terrorize the people." It said the area where the explosion occurred is heavily guarded.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, activists reported violence in different parts of Syria.

State-run news agency SANA said one person was killed and two others wounded when mortar shells struck the upscale Damascus district of Kafar Souseh. Two other mortars crashed onto the roofs of residential buildings in the al-Qassaa district, causing material damage but no casualties.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported air raids on suburbs of Damascus as well as the northern province of Raqqa and Idlib.

The observatory said that Ali Matar, a local rebel commander in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, was shot dead in the eastern city of Mayadeen. It did not say who was behind the attack but added that some of his guards were wounded in the shooting.

Syria's crisis, which began in March 2011 with protests calling for Assad's ouster, then evolved into a civil war. The U.N. says more than 70,000 have been killed in the conflict.

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A suicide car bomb explodes in the main business district of Damascus, Syria, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Monday, April 8, 2013

Exec threatens to pull Fox signal if Aereo goes on

(AP) ? A top executive with the owner of the Fox broadcast network threatened Monday to convert the network to a subscription channel on cable or satellite TV if Internet startup Aereo Inc. continues to "steal" Fox's over-the-air signal and sell it to consumers without paying for rights.

Although anyone with an antenna can pick up a station's signals for free, cable and satellite companies typically pay stations and networks for the right to distribute their programming to subscribers. Industrywide, those retransmission fees add up to billions of dollars every year. Aereo says it's not subject to those fees.

News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey said that not being paid by Aereo jeopardizes the economics of broadcast TV, which benefits from both retransmission fees and advertising.

"This is not an ideal path we look to pursue, but we can't sit idly by and let an entity steal our signal," Carey said at the annual gathering of broadcasters, called NAB Show, in Las Vegas. "If we can't do a fair deal, we could take the whole network to a subscription model."

Fox owns 27 TV stations that thrive on the signal of Fox or its sister network, MyNetworkTV. Carey didn't explain how they might be affected by his proposal.

His remarks came a week after a federal appeals court said Aereo could continue its service despite a legal challenge by broadcasters. Aereo takes broadcast signals for free from the air with thousands of little antennas, recodes them for Internet use and feeds that to subscribers' computers, tablets and smartphones. Plans start at $8 a month, which is much cheaper than a cable package, though the service is mostly limited to broadcast channels.

Broadcasters argue that Aereo is engaged in copyright infringement by retransmitting the signals without permission and payments. But in a 2-1 ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York accepted Aereo's position that the individual antennas meant that Aereo wasn't retransmitting signals, but allowing its subscribers to do what they already could at home with their own antenna and video recorder.

Aereo's service had been limited to New York City when it debuted early last year. The Barry Diller-backed company expanded this year to the New York City suburbs, including New Jersey and parts of Connecticut. It plans to expand to Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and 18 other U.S. markets this spring.

Analyst Todd Juenger of Bernstein Research speculated in a research note in January on what would make broadcast networks transition to a pay TV model.

Such a system would result in the loss of local news programs, broadcast personalities and advertising, which are all made possible by local TV stations. But a pay TV system could be better for network owners such as Fox if services like Aereo were to thrive, because it would cut off technology that siphons away customers from pay TV operators, he wrote.

News Corp.'s stock rose 77 cents, or 2.5 percent, to close Monday at $31.41.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-08-US-Fox-Broadcast-Threat-Aereo/id-73c30e54a13c4440a9c30b3ea7681a08

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More accurate markers identified for detecting response to epigenetic drugs for myelodysplastic syndromes

Apr. 6, 2013 ? Researchers have identified and validated two DNA methylation markers that could help physicians to more accurately determine a patient's response to epigenetic drugs for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), according to Xiaojing Yang, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, who presented the data at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10.

"The current feedback from physicians is that they cannot tell if a patient is really getting the epigenetic drug they are being treated with or not, which makes it difficult for them to decide whether to stop treatment or increase the dosage of the drug," said Yang. "This pushed us to think, why? Why didn't the current marker work and should we try to seek a better one?"

These drugs, called DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi), work by turning on genes that suppress cancer development, according to Yang. In patients with MDS, these genes are often silenced by the attachment of chemicals called methyl groups to the DNA backbone of the gene (an epigenetic modification made through a process called methylation), and DNMTi prevent methyl group attachment to DNA.

Currently, measuring methylation changes in DNA sequences known as LINE-1 elements is widely used as a predictor of whether or not DNMTi are working, but recent research has found that LINE-1 remethylation after a DNMTi is withdrawn occurs faster than in other regions. This implies that LINE-1 methylation changes may not reflect overall demethylation effects of DNMTi, according to Yang.

Yang and colleagues sought to find improved markers of DNA methylation status. Using the Infinium DNA methylation platform, they assessed the methylation profile of 27,000 genomic regions. The team tested this methylation profile on both normal and tumor bladder tissue samples and on white blood cells from healthy donors. They identified 1,429 regions that were consistently methylated in all three samples.

They then tested the methylation profile of these 1,429 regions in T24 bladder cancer and HL60 leukemia cell lines treated with a DNMTi for 24 hours. Of these, 79 significantly responded to demethylation treatment and remained demethylated beyond 30 days. Further analysis focused on the top two regions, which showed consistent hypermethylation in normal and tumor samples.

To verify their findings, Yang and colleagues studied the DNA demethylation levels of those two markers in urine samples from seven patients with MDS treated with the DNMTi azacitidine. They found that the two markers were significantly demethylated, in contrast to LINE-1 methylation, which showed no clear decreasing trend.

According to Yang, these findings could lead to the use of a simple urine test for detecting response to a DNMTi.

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