Brain scans might predict future criminal behavior

Friday, March 29, 2013

A new study conducted by The Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, N.M., shows that neuroimaging data can predict the likelihood of whether a criminal will reoffend following release from prison.

The paper, which is to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, studied impulsive and antisocial behavior and centered on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a portion of the brain that deals with regulating behavior and impulsivity.

The study demonstrated that inmates with relatively low anterior cingulate activity were twice as likely to reoffend than inmates with high-brain activity in this region.

"These findings have incredibly significant ramifications for the future of how our society deals with criminal justice and offenders," said Dr. Kent A. Kiehl, who was senior author on the study and is director of mobile imaging at MRN and an associate professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico. "Not only does this study give us a tool to predict which criminals may reoffend and which ones will not reoffend, it also provides a path forward for steering offenders into more effective targeted therapies to reduce the risk of future criminal activity."

The study looked at 96 adult male criminal offenders aged 20-52 who volunteered to participate in research studies. This study population was followed over a period of up to four years after inmates were released from prison.

"These results point the way toward a promising method of neuroprediction with great practical potential in the legal system," said Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the Philosophy Department and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, who collaborated on the study. "Much more work needs to be done, but this line of research could help to make our criminal justice system more effective."

The study used the Mind Research Network's Mobile Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) System to collect neuroimaging data as the inmate volunteers completed a series of mental tests.

"People who reoffended were much more likely to have lower activity in the anterior cingulate cortices than those who had higher functioning ACCs," Kiehl said. "This means we can see on an MRI a part of the brain that might not be working correctly -- giving us a look into who is more likely to demonstrate impulsive and anti-social behavior that leads to re-arrest."

The anterior cingulate cortex of the brain is "associated with error processing, conflict monitoring, response selection, and avoidance learning," according to the paper. People who have this area of the brain damaged have been "shown to produce changes in disinhibition, apathy, and aggressiveness. Indeed, ACC-damaged patients have been classed in the 'acquired psychopathic personality' genre."

Kiehl says he is working on developing treatments that increase activity within the ACC to attempt to treat the high-risk offenders.

###

You can view the paper by clicking here: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1219302110.

Duke University: http://www.duke.edu

Thanks to Duke University for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 49 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127523/Brain_scans_might_predict_future_criminal_behavior

forrest gump bernard hopkins nfl draft grades devils dodgers rachel maddow gia

Florida university under fire over "Jesus" classroom exercise

MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida university has come under fire over a professor's controversial classroom assignment that asked his students to write "Jesus" on a sheet of paper and then to step on it.

The incident earlier this month at the Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, has prompted the school to issue an apology and led to a call from Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott for an investigation.

"I am deeply disappointed in the recent actions of Florida Atlantic University faculty that raises significant questions over students' rights and the lessons being taught in our classrooms," Scott wrote in a letter to the head of Florida's state university board on Tuesday.

The classroom exercise was conducted as part of a course on intercultural communication at the public university.

It called for students to write the words "Jesus" in big letters on a piece of paper, place it on the floor and then to step on the paper. Students were then asked to describe how they felt.

School officials said the instructor told students they could choose whether to participate in the exercise, which was based on an example in a study guide to a course textbook and intended to provoke a discussion of cultural symbols.

In a recent statement, Florida Atlantic University said it will no longer use the exercise after it sparked criticism from some students.

"It was insensitive and unacceptable. Based on the offensive nature of the exercise, we will not use it again and have issued an apology to the community," the statement said.

In his letter, Scott said he wanted more than just an apology from the school.

"The professor's lesson was offensive, and even intolerant, to Christians and those of all faiths who deserve to be respected as Americans entitled to religious freedom," he wrote.

"I'm requesting a report of the incident, how it was handled and a statement of the university's policies to ensure this type of 'lesson' will not occur again," Scott added.

(Reporting by Kevin Gray; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-university-under-fire-over-jesus-classroom-exercise-233947299.html

jessica sanchez robert kennedy cardinals san diego weather frances bean cobain north korea missile launch modesto

EA teases dramatic 'Battlefield 4'

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Electronic Arts is ramping up the drama with its next "Battlefield" game.

The publisher unveiled gameplay footage from the first-person shooter sequel "Battlefield 4" during a Tuesday event coinciding with the 27th annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The footage began with a squad of four U.S. soldiers trapped underwater in a sinking vehicle before flashing back to their fire-fight with Russian militants in the wind-swept capital of Azerbaijan, Baku ? beginning in an abandoned school and ending in a crumbling construction site.

The graphics on display during the 17 minutes of footage running on a PC were more photorealistic than previous games in the popular military shoot-'em-up series, hinting at what's to come on Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's rumored Xbox successor.

"It really represents what's possible with a next-generation experience," said EA Labels president Frank Gibeau.

For the title's single-player campaign, the game makers at Swedish developer DICE took a cue from the popular multiplayer mode of 2011's "Battlefield 3," focusing more on open environments, allowing players tactical freedom and giving them more ways to command squad mates.

"Integrating multiplayer features into the single-player experience was a big step for us," said "Battlefield 4" executive producer Patrick Bach. "We looked at how and why you play multiplayer, what's important to you and your friends, and weave that into single player with that tight squad feeling, and also have that be part of the narrative."

The game will be available later this year for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. It will also likely be released for next-generation consoles, but that wasn't confirmed at Tuesday's event.

The game makers were equally coy if "Battlefield 4" was influenced by the Pentagon's decision earlier this year to lift its long-standing ban on women serving in combat roles. At the end of Tuesday's presentation, a teaser trailer briefly showed what appeared to be a female soldier interacting with the protagonist.

"We like to look at what's happening topically and in culture," said Gibeau. "It inspires us, and we add it to our story."

___

Online:

http://www.battlefield.com

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ea-teases-dramatic-battlefield-4-132648395--finance.html

jones vs evans marian hossa philip humber red sox white sox chuck colson ufc 145 results

Crowdfunding, Micro-Patronage, and the Future of Free Software

The "free" in Free Software refers to "freedom", rather than cost. It is largely a happy coincidence that Free Software is available gratis. Copyleft licensing certainly helps, but there's no overarching reason that Free-as-in-Freedom software need not cost anything. As Free Software has evolved and matured over the years, several major developmental archetypes have emerged.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4Wk4Z089WrI/

university of texas UT Austin Lizzie Velasquez NFL Network att libya engadget

Fat cat in Texas now slims down, adopted by vet

In this photo provided by veterinarian Brittney Barton, Skinny the cat reclines in Barton's Dallas home Friday, March 8, 2013. The obese stray cat found wandering six months ago near Dallas has slimmed down from 41 to 34 pounds and has been adopted by the Barton, who has been overseeing his care. (AP Photo/Brittney Barton)

In this photo provided by veterinarian Brittney Barton, Skinny the cat reclines in Barton's Dallas home Friday, March 8, 2013. The obese stray cat found wandering six months ago near Dallas has slimmed down from 41 to 34 pounds and has been adopted by the Barton, who has been overseeing his care. (AP Photo/Brittney Barton)

In this photo provided by Brittney Barton, Barton, a veterinarian, poses for a photo with Skinny the cat Friday, March 8, 2013 in Dallas.The obese stray cat found wandering six months ago near Dallas has slimmed down from 41 to 34 pounds and has been adopted by the Barton, who has been overseeing his care. (AP Photo/Todd Barton)

DALLAS (AP) ? An obese stray cat found wandering six months ago near Dallas has slimmed down to 34 pounds and been adopted by the veterinarian overseeing his care.

Dr. Brittney Barton said Friday that the orange tabby dubbed Skinny is doing well on a special diet to help lose weight and increase his metabolism.

Barton says she became attached to the onetime 41-pound cat she was treating at an animal orphanage and last month he became part of her family. Skinny joins Barton's husband, three children, a dog and another cat at her home.

Barton says Skinny gets along great with the other animals, can jump up on a couch and runs to his food bag at feeding time. She says the house has long hallways that provide good exercise for Skinny.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-03-08-US-ODD-Fat-Cat-Adoption/id-f0478db3c3e5485c81712fae9f9d6ec7

2012 ncaa basketball tournament walt what time is it current time a thousand words my sisters keeper kirby

It?s Official: Crunch(y) Time in Boulder (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/291169550?client_source=feed&format=rss

superbowl kick off time 2012 new york giants hot wings recipe 7 layer dip recipe chris carter superbowl 2012 kickoff time what time is the super bowl 2012

Gluten be gone: Restaurants cater to new food fad

Katie Little , CNBC ? ? ? 1 hr.

Plucked from the relative obscurity it enjoyed merely a few years ago, gluten intolerance or sensitivity has become one of today's hottest health topics.

Nearly 30 percent of Americans reported in January wanting to cut down or eliminate gluten in their diet, according to new data from the NPD Group. And where consumers see a chance to be healthier, restaurants and food manufacturers see a business opportunity.

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye. It is found in bread, pasta and other products and contributes to elasticity of dough. Some people are allergic to it, others say it gives them headaches or makes them feel tired.

But the trend to go gluten free has caught on with consumers who don't have either condition but instead see it as part of a healthy diet or a way to lose weight. (Which some doctors caution may not be true.)

As a result of the growing gluten backlash, restaurants have released a bevy of new gluten-free items and menus, while grocers have lined their shelves with new options from food manufacturers that eliminate the ingredient. Some even advertise products as "gluten free" that naturally lack the ingredient.

"A generation ago, health was about avoiding fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium in our diet," said Harry Balzer, NPD's chief industry analyst. "While those desires still exist for many, they no longer are growing concerns."

In the past year, gluten-free or wheat-free orders grew to number over 200 million, more than double what they were four years ago.

According to a National Restaurant Association survey, professional chefs named gluten the eighth most popular trend of 2013. Quick-service restaurant operators paid even more attention to it and called it the top menu trend this year.

This interest is part of an overall jump in consumers' desire for healthier restaurant foods, said Joy Dubost, the association's nutrition director.

"Consumer interest in health and nutrition is a long-term trend on restaurant menus that takes a variety of forms, be it the latest fad diet or lifestyle dietary changes," Dubost said. "Restaurants generally offer a wide variety of menu options to meet this interest, and also encourage customization of other items to fit specific diets, for example, salad dressing on the side or choice of side dishes."

Several companies have launched new items or entire menus for the diet including Domino's Pizza, Bloomin' Brands' Outback Steakhouse and Darden Restaurants' Olive Garden. To create these offerings, restaurants often modify existing recipes by substituting ingredients rather than completely starting from square one, she added.

In addition to wanting to reach a new customer, Mary Chapman, Technomic's director of product innovation, said restaurants may create these menus to appear innovative or to avoid alienating an entire dining group.

"Restaurants think a lot about how to avoid the 'veto vote' or that one person who can't or won't go to a certain place because they don't have what they can or want to eat," she added.

Ironically, restaurants sometimes caution those with celiac disease against consuming these products. Domino's sparked controversy when it warned consumers that its gluten-free pizza crust was prepared in a common kitchen with the risk of gluten exposure.

"Therefore, Domino's DOES NOT recommend this pizza for customers with celiac disease," the company said on its website. "Customers with gluten sensitivities should exercise judgment in consuming this pizza."

Chapman said this is a common issue for gluten-free menus because it's so difficult to avoid cross-contamination in a kitchen.

Still, the recent sharp uptick in gluten interest begs the question: Will gluten avoidance follow the restaurant law of gravity that other eating fads have succumbed to ? that what goes up in popularity must come down?

For now, companies are betting the trend has some staying power. In July, Smart Balance, which has since changed its name to Boulder Brands, bought Udi's Health Foods, which makes a variety of gluten-free products from bread to cookies, for about $126 million in cash and said it expected the purchase to accelerate its growth rate.

But In some ways, Chapman said gluten awareness is just another diet trend, like the low-carb craze, which was inspired by the Atkins and South Beach diet craze of the early 2000s.

"We saw restaurants offering sandwiches made with lettuce rather than bread and burritos served in bowls instead of tortillas," she said. "Some of those dishes still exist because there's still a market for them, but they're not all over the menu."

She added that every product has a lifecycle regardless of whether it's part of a diet trend.

"I hate to call it a fad, because there are people who are benefiting from the increased awareness and attention," she said. "Those people will always need to think about whether something has gluten in it. But the market will certainly shrink as attention moves to the next thing."

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/gluten-be-gone-restaurants-cater-new-food-fad-1C8781255

jacoby ellsbury lionel richie kenny rogers avatar the last airbender david wright cory booker cubs

No. 6 Miami beats Clemson for outright ACC title

Miami coach Jim Larranaga cuts down the net after an NCAA college basketball game against Clemson in Coral Gables, Fla., Saturday, March 9, 2013. Kenny Kadji scored a season-high 23 points to help the sixth-ranked Hurricanes win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright by beating Clemson 62-49 . (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami coach Jim Larranaga cuts down the net after an NCAA college basketball game against Clemson in Coral Gables, Fla., Saturday, March 9, 2013. Kenny Kadji scored a season-high 23 points to help the sixth-ranked Hurricanes win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright by beating Clemson 62-49 . (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami's Julian Gamble, left, holds up a cardboard cut-out figure of himself as he celebrates with students after the second half of a NCAA college basketball game in Coral Gables, Fla., Saturday, March 9, 2013. Down to its third try and last chance, Miami came through. Kenny Kadji scored a season-high 23 points to help the sixth-ranked Hurricanes win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright by beating Clemson 62-49 on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami's Durand Scott (1) slides past Clemson's Milton Jennings (24) for a basket during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game in Coral Gables, Fla., Saturday, March 9, 2013. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Clemson Adonis Filer (3) tries to get around Miami's Trey McKinney Jones (4) and Julian Gamble (45) during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game in Coral Gables, Fla., Saturday, March 9, 2013. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Clemson Adonis Filer (3) tries to get around Miami's Trey McKinney Jones (4) and Julian Gamble (45) during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game in Coral Gables, Fla., Saturday, March 9, 2013. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) ? Miami coach Jim Larranaga mounted the ladder last and went to the basket hard, scissors in hand. The net came off with one final snip, and he twirled it over his head, then draped it around his neck.

Championship jewelry.

Down to their third try and last chance, Larranaga's Hurricanes came through Saturday. Kenny Kadji scored a season-high 23 points to help sixth-ranked Miami win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright by beating Clemson 62-49.

Then came the cutting of the net, a new ritual for Miami's program.

"It's a piece of memorabilia you'll keep with you for a lifetime," said Larranaga, who is in his second year with the Hurricanes. "It's something the players feel is very, very special, because you don't get to do it all the time. Some programs do it almost annually, but we haven't done that here. And when you do anything for the first time, it's very, very exciting."

Miami (24-6, 15-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) clinched its first outright men's basketball league title after being foiled by consecutive losses to Duke and Georgia Tech. The Hurricanes tied the school record for victories set in 2001-02, when they went 24-8, and improved to 14-1 at home in their regular-season finale.

The league championship is the second for the Hurricanes, who shared the Big East Conference title in 2000. Now comes the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C., where Miami will be the top seed.

"That's not the last net I plan on cutting down," Trey McKinney Jones said. "The sky's the limit for us. If we play together, we have so many weapons."

Clemson (13-17, 5-13) has lost six straight and nine of 10.

After struggling on defense recently, the Hurricanes clamped down, limiting Clemson to one basket during a pivotal 9?-minute stretch to start the second half. Larranaga graded the defensive performance Miami's best in the past three weeks.

"One thing we really focused on was just being down in the stance, and going back to that very basic thing," center Julian Gamble said. "It shows how big a difference it can make, because we were a lot quicker getting to the ball and guarding guys who were driving."

Miami held a league opponent to 50 points or fewer for the seventh time. When it ended, Larranaga exhaled.

"I was less happy and more relieved, because I felt like we had started to struggle a little bit with our mental approach," he said. "No longer were the games as exciting and as much fun. It was more of a job.

"Today at halftime I thought the most important message to the guys was to remember to enjoy the process. It's not about what's at the end of the rainbow. It's about enjoying the game. And I thought we did that."

When Kadji sank a 3-pointer for a 55-41 lead with 3:10 left, the Hurricanes ran upcourt grinning at each other to a deafening roar from the crowd, dressed as one in white ACC championship T-shirts. The game was the fifth sellout this year for the Hurricanes, traditional cellar-dwellers in conference attendance.

After the final seconds ticked off, confetti rained from the ceiling. The latest hoops success in Miami drew a salute from the city's other title team.

"Congrats to them Canes on becoming the ACC Champs!!" LeBron James tweeted.

Kadji, one of six seniors playing his final home game, went 4 for 6 from 3-point range. He added 12 rebounds to help Miami enjoy a 35-21 advantage on the boards. His classmate, McKinney Jones, scored 10 points.

Sophomore guard Shane Larkin came off the bench for the first time this season and struggled early, missing his first seven shots. But he hit a pair of important 3-pointers late and finished with 11 points.

The Heat's James lobbied for Larkin as conference player of the year. Larranaga also offered an endorsement.

"I don't think there has been a more valuable player to any team," the coach said.

Clemson freshman Jordan Roper led the Tigers with 12 points, all in the first 5 minutes before Larkin entered the game and began to guard him.

"We just didn't do enough good things to win," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. "In the second half offensively we struggled a little bit. Jordan got off to a great start for us. They did a better job on him as the game wore on."

The score was 25-all at halftime, and the Hurricanes took the lead for good with a 13-3 run to start the second half. Kadji hit consecutive baskets, the second a 3-pointer. Durand Scott then scored on back-to-back possessions for a 38-28 advantage with 11 minutes remaining.

Larkin was scoreless until he sank a 3-pointer with 8:46 left. He made another one on Miami's next possession for a 44-34 lead.

Gamble's two free throws put Miami up by 13 for the first time at 51-38 with 4 minutes left, and soon the Hurricanes were celebrating. Gamble, a sixth-year senior, conceded he struggled a bit with the net-cutting ritual.

"The scissors we had might be a little dull," he said with a smile. "Those are the same scissors we use to cut off our tape every day. We'll try to have some sharper ones when we get to Greensboro."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-09-BKC-T25-Clemson-Miami/id-5ad4a1a0adb145c19a8dd9986801d4dd

Sam Claflin Tony Farmer West Nile virus symptoms snooki amy schumer amy schumer Prince Harry Vegas pictures

Sony 'Huashan' and 'Taoshan' smartphones hinted at by retailer listings

The trouble with online retailers listing pages for rumored products is that you can never tell if it's a genuine leak or the work of hopeful database technicians. That's why we'll keep our emotions in check to tell you that references to a Sony C5303 Huashan and C2105 Taoshan have cropped up over the last few days. Since neither handset made an appearance at MWC, we're left wondering if they really do exist -- or if we're just a chess piece in Leonardo DiCaprio's mind.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

Comments

Via: XperiaBlog, GSM Arena

Source: eBuyer, Micro Aid (Google Cache)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/11/huashan-taoshan-sony-listings/

grenada grenada Sikh Sanya Richards Ross decathlon Honey Boo Boo Child marilyn monroe

Melissa King, Of Sex Video, Over Miley Cyrus - Zennie62 Politics ...

Melissa King, the now-former Miss Teen Delaware who resigned after a sex tape emerged featuring a woman who bears her resemblance, is (perhaps unknowingly) enjoying what may be one of the highest sustained search term lookup rates in history.

According to this blogger?s test using Google Trends, ?Melissa King? as a search term out-performs Rand Paul, Miley Cyrus, and even Kate Middleton. Ms. King?s search intensity zoomed from 0 on February 24th, to 75 on February 27th, and then 77 on February 28th. And while her numbers haven?t hit the 100 mark, they have not dipped to below 20 as of this writing on March 8th.

Even Lindsay Lohan, who?s always in the news it seems, thanks to TMZ, is at just an 8 ? though it?s a consistent number. And Paris Hilton? She hovers between 6 and 7.

And if you?re wondering who Melissa King is, this video will help:

The high search performance rate of ?Melissa King? is sustained because of Worldwide search for online copies of her sex tape. Reportedly, a woman who looks like Melissa King, 18, agreed to make a porn tape of her having sex with an unidentified man (the video producers even blurred his face) for money. In the video, the woman who look like King admits that she participates in beauty contests ? a sure-fire connection to Ms. King. When the sex tape surfaced on the blog Gawker, King said it wasn?t her, but resigned from being Miss Teen Delaware.

Melissa King Over Jessica Dorrell

Melissa King?s search numbers are also over that for Jessica Dorrell, the now-former University Of Arkansas student and employee who had an affair with then-Football Head Coach Bobby Petrino, but that?s according to Google?s new search evaluation system; the old one had Dorrell reaching a 100 level. Indeed, the new system reports numbers in the 70s for King, but when the search term time frame is expanded to the last 12 months, it?s rounded to 100, versus 50 for Dorrell.

(And now, when I re-ran the query, the numbers jumped to 98 and 100 for Melissa King, where they were 75 and 77 before ? wild.)

What?s fueling King?s constant celebrity is the seemingly all-too-easy ability to look at the sex tape. I?ve never seen an environment that has allowed this kind of easy access ? but no, I?ll not link to it.

Given that, and this is just a hypothesis, versions of King?s sex tape has been seen about 20 million times Worldwide. The evidence is clear, if you want to gain instant celebrity, make a sex tape. But, all kidding aside, that Melissa King was already a beauty queen and did that, just fueled the demand to see the video all the more.

Just what this says about our society is for discussion, but this blogger prediction made a few years ago that society was going to get tired of seeing this and the search numbers would decrease, has come to be totally wrong thus far.

Stay tuned.

Please donate to Zennie62, so we can add more blog authors and cover more events. Special requests: zennie@zennie62.com

Source: http://www.zennie62blog.com/2013/03/08/melissa-king-of-sex-video-over-miley-cyrus-45265/

prince jessica biel Lena Dunham elton john janelle monae MBTA national signing day

At 16 wins, Heat still are unimpressed

Miami Heat's LeBron James reacts after scoring the go-ahead layup against the Orlando Magic with 3.2 seconds left in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The Heat won 97-96. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami Heat's LeBron James reacts after scoring the go-ahead layup against the Orlando Magic with 3.2 seconds left in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The Heat won 97-96. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) drives around Orlando Magic's DeQuan Jones (20) on his way to shooting the go-ahead layup with 3.2 seconds left in their NBA basketball game in Miami, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The Heat won 97-96. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Miami, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The Heat won 97-96. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) shoots over Orlando Magic's Arron Afflalo (4) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

MIAMI (AP) ? LeBron James drove to the rim and scored on Miami's final play, winning a game in memorable fashion and preserving the Heat's winning streak that has lasted for five weeks.

Still, the Heat are not impressed by, well, themselves these days.

For Miami, 16 playoff wins are the goal ? not a 16-game winning streak during the regular season. To the Heat, the regular season is an 82-game tuneup for the challenges that await in April, May and they hope, June ? when they'll try to win the 16 postseason games needed to successfully defend their NBA championship. And that's why even buzzer-beating wins aren't sending the Heat locker room into a celebratory frenzy right now.

"We're enjoying it," Heat forward Shane Battier said, "but we have bigger goals."

James scored with 3.2 seconds left on Wednesday night, lifting Miami to a 97-96 win over the Orlando Magic. Miami's 16th straight victory gave the Heat a 7?-game lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, an 11?-game cushion over the Atlanta Hawks in the Southeast Division and put the reigning champions in line to clinch their playoff spot on Friday ? in just the 60th game of the season.

Miami plays at home against Philadelphia on Friday, and a win would match the 12th-longest winning streak in NBA history.

No, the Heat don't care much about that, either.

"It really doesn't affect us," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "In a sense, we want to win, and we want to win every game we play. The day it comes where our streak gets broken we move on to the next game. Obviously, it is great, when you look back at it one day and say 'Oh, we won that many games in a row.' But right now, we are just playing."

Not just playing ? playing better than any team in Heat history, at least statistically.

The previous franchise record for a winning streak was 14 games. During this 16-game run, there have been blowouts, double-overtime thrillers and now buzzer-beating victories. Miami has outscored opponents by an average of 11.5 points per game during the streak, and James and Wade have been nothing short of brilliant throughout the run.

By the numbers, since Feb. 3:

? James is averaging 28.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists on 61 percent shooting.

? Wade is averaging 24.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists, with a NBA-leading plus-minus ratio of 203 along the way as well.

"I haven't brought it up," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, when asked about the streak. "What we're trying to do is get better."

If someone knows that long winning streaks during the season mean little when the stakes are highest, it's Battier. At Duke, he was on a team that won 32 straight games in one season, and with the Houston Rockets he was part of an epic 22-game winning streak in 2008.

Neither the Blue Devils nor the Rockets won championships in those years.

"It's hard to win one game in this league, which people don't realize," Battier said. "The amount of preparation, the amount of time you have to study your opponent. Even for the most talented team, so much has to go right for you to win one game."

The 22-game streak in Houston was one that Battier will forever savor because that Rockets team was just not expected to be great.

And for more than a month, they were beyond great.

"It was one of the best times in my basketball career because it was so bizarre," Battier said. "We came out of nowhere. It was a team that was a pretty good team, a playoff team. We weren't contenders and we just kept winning. ... It was a perfect storm."

Of course, the expectations in Miami are just a tad higher than what those Rockets faced.

Still, there is a residual benefit from being tested in the regular season, especially when a game is on the line in the final seconds. And the pressure of that moment against the Magic, the pressure ? if any exists ? of the winning streak, it wasn't enough to thwart the Heat on Wednesday.

"I don't know if we relish them," Battier said of late-game, close-game situations. "There's a huge benefit because the playoffs are all about executing under stressful situations. And although a regular-season game, even if it's tight like that can't replicate the pressure and stress of a playoff game, it's good to be in those situations just to see how you respond and learn."

That was the mood in the Heat locker room after Wednesday's scintillating finish. Another lesson learned, time to move on.

When some players were asked about the potential for things like 20-game winning streaks and putting together one of the longest runs in NBA history, the response was typically no more than a shrug.

"We don't even talk about it," James said. "We don't really get caught up into the streak at all. What we are trying to do is bigger than a streak."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-07-BKN-Streaking-Heat/id-06e0cf2a4105458aac2a9c52e813eb57

Norman Schwarzkopf Avery Johnson netflix iTunes Alfred Morris weight watchers fandango

Ouya store ready for launch, will highlight devs with short documentaries

We're still a little bit away from the official launch of the much-hyped Ouya console, but the game store appears ready for takeoff. Today the company hit the reset button on the beta version of its shop and went back to square one. But, from now on, any app uploaded through the developer portal will be ready and available on day one when it starts shipping to Kickstarter backers on March 28th. Those who have already submitted will have to go through the process all over again unfortunately. In her inaugural blog post as a member of the Ouya team Kellee Santiago revealed a promotional push aimed at benefiting both the console and some of its early-adopter developers. The top three games, as measured by total play time over the first six weeks of availability, will become the focus of a series of short documentaries. To be eligible for the competition you'll need to get your title in before the March 28th shipping date. For a few more details and to review the developer guidelines yourself hit up the source link.

Filed under: Gaming

Comments

Source: Ouya

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/bFr-JVLnchA/

big bend national park leon russell meredith vieira prop 8 larry bird maria menounos proposition 8

Brody Jenner: Kast on Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Source:

band of brothers presidents george washington russell westbrook horsetail falls ice t president day

Demolition plan for Florida sinkhole house

LIVE VIDEO ? Heavy equipment operators tear down the Florida house where a large sinkhole opened up underneath and is believed to have killed one man who was in the bedroom at the time.

By Ian Johnston and Matthew DeLuca, NBC News

Crews began demolishing a Florida home Sunday that is perched over a huge sinkhole, after deeming it too dangerous to keep searching for the man swallowed up from his bedroom.

Rescue workers on Saturday called off their search for 36-year-old Jeffrey Bush, who?had not been heard from since the hole appeared at about 11 p.m. ET Thursday in Seffner, near Tampa.

One man is presumed dead after being sucked into the earth as he was sleeping, and now other families in the neighborhood are on edge. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

?Unfortunately we have not been able to determine the whereabouts of Mr. Bush,? Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said. ?With all the equipment that we brought in and specialized help, we have just not been able to locate Mr. Bush, and so for that reason the rescue effort is being discontinued.?

Authorities have said the hole, which was originally about 30 feet deep, was ?seriously unstable.? A 100-foot safety zone was set up around it Friday and homes near the hole were evacuated for fear of a sudden collapse.

---

The sinkhole now poses a safety risk to the residence next door, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue public information officer Ronnie Rivera at a noon press conference on Saturday. Family members would be allowed to enter briefly along with emergency personnel to recover belongings, Rivera said.?

The demolition started at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, and was expected to continue at least until Monday, authorities said.

A second family in an adjacent home began moving their possessions out on Saturday afternoon as authorities struggled to get an accurate read on just how large the sinkhole is.

Authorities brought in heavy equipment to demolish the home from outside the perimeter of the sinkhole, which Merrill said extends down as much as 50 to 60 feet.

?We?re dealing with a very unusual sinkhole,? Merrill said. ?It?s very deep, it?s very wide, it?s very unstable.?

Hillsborough County, Florida officials lay out their plan going forward at the site of a sinkhole that appeared beneath a home and is believed to have killed one of the residents.

Merrill said workers would move from rescue to demolition operations.

?Any further demolition can?t even take place on the site,? Merrill said. ?It needs to be done from outside the perimeter with huge equipment that will be able to reach in and bring out whatever we can of the house.?

On Friday, Jeremy Bush spoke tearfully about how he tried to save his brother.

"I couldn't get him out," he said. "All I thought I could hear was him screaming for me and hollering for me, but I couldn't do nothing."

Jeremy Bush was saved from the hole by Hillsborough County sheriff's Deputy Douglas Duvall, NBC station WFLA reported.

'Really shocking'
Neighbors told NBC station WFLA.com of their surprise.

"It's just really shocking," said Kevin Charles, who lives two houses down from the Bush?s house. "It kind of worries me because ? it could have been any one of these houses along this side over here.?

"I think the issue now is everyone in the area is going to sit back and wonder whether should get sinkhole insurance," said neighbor Steve Hamlyn. "Because we really didn't see a need for it until now."

While some in the neighborhood did not know of the risks, sinkholes are common in Florida, The Associated Press reported, and home insurers are required by law to provide coverage for the sudden disaster.

Florida?s geological makeup increases the likelihood of sinkholes, and more than 500 have been reported in Hillsborough County since 1954, the state?s environmental agency told the AP. A monster 400-foot sinkhole that sucked in a house, five sports cars, two businesses and part of a swimming pool appeared near Orlando in 1981.

"You can almost envision a piece of Swiss cheese," Taylor Yarkosky, a sinkhole expert from Brooksville, Fla, told the AP. "Any house in Florida could be in that same situation."

At a press conference at 8 a.m. ET Saturday, fire officials announced they had set up an email address, accessible at www.firefighter-relief.com, for anyone wishing to send message of condolences or donations to the family.

NBC News' Gabe Gutierrez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Luis Echeverria / AP

A look at some of the most amazing sinkholes around the world.

Related:

Massive sinkhole swallows Florida man ? and it's still growing

The science of sinkholes: Common, but rarely catastrophic

Florida home crumbles under sinkhole pressure

Videos: Sinkholes in the news

This story was originally published on Sun Mar 3, 2013 9:58 AM EST

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/02/17158691-demolition-plan-for-home-in-florida-sinkhole-tragedy?lite

Big Bird Adam Greenberg Fall Leaves Jim Lehrer 666 Park Avenue Kara Alongi Sahara Davenport

How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman

How to be a Good Wife
Emma Chapman
9781447218524



I sometimes feel as if it's best to read a book in a vacuum.

Knowing things about the author; their age, if they live locally, whether or not you'd love to raid their wardrobe will inevitably influence the way you feel about their book. ?I think this definitely happened with How to be a Good Wife. ?But I'll start at the beginning.

You may have seen a couple of posts ago that I saw Emma Chapman speak at the Perth Writers Festival. ?I was impressed by her focussed, almost quiet confidence (with the appropriate amount of timidity about said confidence, if that is possible) and by the way that her voice changed to a loving, calm tone when she read her own words to us. ?I find this happens with most writers when they read aloud. ?The book itself had been selling rather well as I understood it, due in no small part to the recommendation from none other than Hilary Mantel. ?Wow. ?No small achievement there! ?I'd sort of mentally made note to read this book, but I was in no tearing hurry until I heard Chapman speak about the novel and about her passion for writing it. ?So I think on some level my reaction to the book has been tampered with by my own expectations.

Coming into this novel straight off a weekend long reading binge, I immediately felt a slowing of pace. ?How to be a Good Wife is a psychological, character driven narrative, and the first one hundred pages or so document the main character, Marta, slowly losing her grip on reality (or 'reality'?) ?Interwoven with strange things happening in the present are recollections of the past- the narrative dips in and out of them in such a way that it sometimes seems as if the past and present are happening simultaneously. ?This was at times disorienting- I found myself having to backtrack in order to discover whether or not I'd missed something. ?However, Chapman has a skill for description which grounds the reader firmly in the eyes of the character, and it is easy to visualise the things Marta is seeing for yourself.

The book almost seems to have two parts to it. ?The first part of the book seems to be a slow moving drama about a mother's grief at her son leaving home, and her awkward relationship with her husband. ?This part of the book is easy to read in small chunks, simple to dip in and out of casually. ?I put the slow pace largely down to the awkwardness of writing from a first person point of view in present tense. ?A lot of sentences start with "I" or "My". ?The second half of the book- where Marta discovers the dark secret- is less willing to let you go. ?It's nearly impossible to review this book without giving spoilers, but suffice to say, this is the point in the book at which the genre becomes psychological thriller, and it is as if the pace of the story, like Marta has awakened. ?This part demands to be read in one sitting, and if you read this far, will change your opinion of the entire book. ?It's like an "oh, hello!" moment. ?So persevere.

Other minor gripes with this book include the very two dimensional insight into the married lives of older couples- troubles with the mother in law, a feeling of hopelessness after the child leaves- which is not ground-breaking, and offers no new insight. ?It is Marta's situation and the idea that all of it might be rooted in a lie and manufactured to brainwash her that make the book refreshing. ?I also really liked the way that Chapman has peeled back the dramatic edge of the story to make the mundane things seem spine chilling.

All in all, while I don't think that this book was as brilliant a debut as people were raving about I still thought it was a very good read, and I learned a lot about NOT overdoing it from reading it. ?Also, I do really really really want to raid Emma Chapman's wardrobe.

I give this book three out of five.

Source: http://elimy.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-be-good-wife-by-emma-chapman.html

herman cain south carolina palmetto rob lowe sanctum the notebook duke basketball miranda july