We all know that lenders use our credit scores to evaluate us and our "credit worthiness," but there are also less-known ways credit card companies are keeping tabs on us. Credit Sesame points out five of these additional scores, including one that monitors your spending behavior.
According to the article posted on Business Insider, lenders use these unofficial scores to determine who gets bonus offers or other incentives and who gets turned down for a card or their accounts limited.
The "Behavior Score" flags not just how much you're spending, but where you shop as well:
"For example, if you normally shop at high-end stores and regularly pay off your card, and then suddenly start shopping at discount stores and carrying a balance, the lender could use this behavior data as an indicator that you have become higher risk and could take steps to minimize its exposure," says [CreditSesame CEO] Nazari. "Alternatively, if your behavior data indicates you are a good risk but you aren't generating a profit, an issuer might determine how to incentivize spending."
To improve that score, CreditSesame says, you need to improve things like late payments and fees and also be careful with triggers like long-term credit card activity.
Another score, the "Attrition Score" (a.k.a., the "Wandering Eye" score) can work to your advantage.
It's how lenders decide how likely it is that you'll "cheat" on them with another competitor. "When this score is high, it tells lenders that they may need to sweeten the pot and offer you various perks so they can continue to make you happy and committed," Nazari says.
Things like calling to request a lower interest rate could get your credit card issuer to pay more attention to you.
Check out the full post for other things about you lenders are watching (most of them are mitigated by good credit score habits and keeping an eye on your score).
Five Little-Known Ways Credit Lenders Keep Their Eye On You | Business Insider
Sex workers are openly using Facebook, Twitter and other social media to openly advertise their services.
Prostitutes and escort agencies have created hundreds of unrestricted pages on Facebook, causing concern that children are being exposed to both explicit content as well as the services of the sex industry.
Many of the pages include explicit photographs, descriptions of services alongside phones numbers, addresses and prices.
Facebook has removed dozens of the pages after being contacted by The Times newspaper.
The site said it ?has a clear set of rules and these pages broke them?, but said it could only take action when offensive items were reported to them by members of the public.
The postings were also reported to Twitter, but the microblogging site declined to comment or take action. Under the company?s rules, content would need to be illegal to be considered in breach of its terms and conditions.
The concern over prostitution follows recent complaints that crimes involving Facebook and Twitter have increased 780 per cent over the last four years.
This included offenses committed on the sites, such as posting abusive messages, and those which were provoked by postings, including violent attacks.
But researchers said police forces refused to tackle the issue of prostitution because of the perception that it is a ?victimless crime?. According to The Times, a parliamentary committee on prostitution has pledged to investigate the problem after the revelations.
The researchers said that, in the past, the calling cards of prostitutes had littered the walls of phone boxes, but social networks had become a more common way to attract clients.
Facebook said that it encourages people ?to use the reporting tools on almost every page of the site so we can take swift action against content or behavior that breaks our rules.?
Mills Kelly, from George Mason University in the US, who has studied the impact of the internet on prostitution, said: ?If you want an escort or sex worker in any major city in the world, Facebook is a good place to start your search."
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the only Republican still in President Barack Obama's first-term Cabinet, said Tuesday he plans to leave the administration. His move continues an exodus that will give Obama's team a new look in his second term.
The 67-year-old LaHood, a former congressman from Illinois, pushed for greater safety on the highways and in the air.
He led the Transportation Department throughout Obama's first term and helped steer a campaign to curb distracted driving, promote high-speed rail and repair roads and bridges. Under his watch, the department demanded tougher fuel efficiency requirements for automakers and took steps to address airline pilot fatigue.
Obama thanked LaHood in a statement, saying they were "drawn together by a shared belief that those of us in public service owe an allegiance not to party or faction, but to the people we were elected to represent. And Ray has never wavered in that belief."
LaHood said in an interview with The Associated Press that he told Obama a week after the November election that he needed to move on but said he was still "conflicted" by his decision because he liked working for Obama and considered it the "best job I've ever had in public service."
He said he plans to remain at the department until his successor is confirmed by the Senate, which he expected in about two months. The only other Republican who was in Obama's first-term Cabinet was Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who stepped aside and was replaced by Democrat Leon Panetta earlier.
LaHood said he would not run for public office in his home state of Illinois and said he did not have any specific plans.
"I have had a good run. I'm one of these people who believe that you should go out while they're applauding," he said. LaHood said he was content to watch from the sidelines as his oldest son, Darin, serves in the Illinois state senate.
Obama is remaking his Cabinet at the beginning of his second term with the departures of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Panetta and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. In addition to LaHood, the heads of the Interior and Labor departments also have announced their resignations in recent weeks.
The Transportation Department has carried a bipartisan imprint in recent years and been the place for a president to ask a member of the opposing party to serve. Former Rep. Norman Mineta, a California Democrat, served as Transportation secretary during the administration of President George W. Bush. Obama has nominated former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican, to serve as defense secretary to succeed Panetta.
Possible replacements for LaHood include Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has pushed for increased rail service in Los Angeles and served as chairman of last year's Democratic National Convention, and Debbie Hersman, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. The name of former Rep. Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, who led the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has also been mentioned.
LaHood, 67, served seven terms in Congress representing a central Illinois district that includes his hometown of Peoria, Ill., and overlapped with Obama in the state's delegation during the last four years of his career.
At the department, LaHood provided a bipartisan voice during the first term, helping implement billions of dollars in transportation projects from the 2009 economic stimulus bill and promoting the plan to wary Republicans. The department pushed forward thousands of infrastructure projects to improve roads and bridges and LaHood worked with Congress last year to pass an overhaul of highway and transit programs that gives states more flexibility in how they spend federal money.
He tackled a number of regulations that had been mired in gridlock. LaHood worked with auto makers and environmentalists to develop tougher fuel efficiency standards for new cars, with the goal of providing environmental benefits and reducing fuel consumption.
Guarding against airline pilot fatigue, the Federal Aviation Administration set new rules under LaHood's watch that would limit the maximum time a pilot can be scheduled on duty and place limits on scheduled flying time and hours for pilots flying overnight. The action was prompted by a deadly plane crash near Buffalo, N.Y., that raised concerns about pilot fatigue.
LaHood also has taken on major transportation companies during his tenure, slapping Toyota Motor Co. with record fines for delaying safety recalls and failing to promptly report problems to federal regulators.
He recently ordered United Airlines to ground its Boeing 787 Dreamliner following mishaps with the aircraft's batteries. The FAA is investigating the cause of the problems to the Dreamliner, which uses lithium ion batteries and is the world's first airliner whose structure is made mostly from lightweight composite materials.
Perhaps LaHood's most passionate work has involved distracted driving, which he has called a "national epidemic." He has launched a national media campaign to end texting and cellphone use by drivers, an awareness campaign that has drawn comparisons to efforts to promote seat belt use more than a generation ago.
The grandfather of 10, LaHood has often emphasized the toll that deaths and injuries from distracted driving can inflict on families.
"Safety will be something that people will remember us for in all modes of transportation," LaHood said.
___
Follow Ken Thomas at: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the only Republican in President Barack Obama's first-term Cabinet, says he plans to leave the Obama administration.
The former congressman from Illinois says in an interview with The Associated Press that he intends to remain at the department until his successor is confirmed.
LaHood has helped the Obama administration steer through a number of safety measures and highway projects during the past four years. His record has included steps to curb distracted driving, promote high-speed rail projects and improve roads and bridges.
Under his watch, the department has pushed tougher fuel efficiency requirements for automakers and safeguards against airline pilot fatigue.
LaHood says he will not run for public office in Illinois, saying he believes "you should go out while they're applauding."
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am now a mommy blogger for?N?by?. ?They offer the best and safest products?for moms like me. Something new I learned about this company is that they distribute their products over 155 countries and have been used worldwide for 35 years! So much to learn about products when a new baby is introduced in one's life.
I received a lovely package of items to review and have slowly bee enjoying them. Most of them have to do with feeding time because it is the most important activity in our life right now. Julianne is growing SO quickly and enjoys eating.
She loves her fruit and she also loves to give her opinion even though she does not know how to talk yet. She is learning that she can ask for something else other than what I serve her. So frustrating and yet so incredible. Breakfast time is usually the easiest because I always serve my daughter a variety of fruit.
I have started varying with some fruit smoothies but I will talk about that on another review.
One of the items I received was this?Flower Child? Non-Skid Plate. Even though this product is geared to toddlers starting at 18 months I decided it would be ideal for Julianne. She started feeding herself last month and as we are teaching her to keep food on her plate this non-skid plate was perfect!
The plate is durable, sturdy and a fun color. It is microwave safe and is perfect for cold and hot foods. Can I say that all food was kept on the plate? I am so proud of my daughter. She usually lifts her plate when she is done but somehow the colors in the plate kept her entertained.
We definitely look forward using this a lot. A huge plus? No BPAs!
Available for purchase at?Amazon.com?and select department stores.
*Disclosure: I received these items for my review as a Nuby Mommy Blogger. All opinion are of my own and may differ from yours.
Aerialist Nick Wallenda walks the high wire 200 feet over U.S. 41 in Sarasota, Fla., without a safety harness on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. The Sarasota City Commission is allowing him to do the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Mike Lang) PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BRADENTON HERALD OUT; TV OUT; ONLINE OUT
Aerialist Nick Wallenda walks the high wire 200 feet over U.S. 41 in Sarasota, Fla., without a safety harness on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. The Sarasota City Commission is allowing him to do the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Mike Lang) PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BRADENTON HERALD OUT; TV OUT; ONLINE OUT
Aerialist Nick Wallenda walks the high wire 200 feet over U.S. 41 in Sarasota, Fla., without a safety harness on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. The Sarasota City Commission is allowing him to do the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Dan Wagner) PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BRADENTON HERALD OUT; TV OUT; ONLINE OUT
Barb Renaud of Bradenton, Fla. center, cheers with other spectators as aerialist Nik Wallenda finishes his skywalk over U.S. 41 in downtown Sarasota on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. The Sarasota City Commission is allowing him to do the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Dan Wagner) PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BRADENTON HERALD OUT; TV OUT; ONLINE OUT
Aerialist Nick Wallenda walks a wire suspended 200-feet above the Sarasota Bayfront, crossing over U.S. 41 in Sarasota, Fla., without a safety harness on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. The Sarasota City Commission is allowing him to do the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Mike Lang) PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BRADENTON HERALD OUT; TV OUT; ONLINE OUT
Aerialist Nik Wallenda walks the high wire 200 feet over U.S. 41 in Sarasota, Fla., without a safety harness on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. The Sarasota City Commission is allowing him to do the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Mike Lang) PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BRADENTON HERALD OUT; TV OUT; ONLINE OUT
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) ? Famed daredevil Nik Wallenda glided 500 feet across a wire suspended 200 feet above the ground on Tuesday, wowing several thousand people below in his hometown of Sarasota.
Without a tether or safety net, Wallenda was the lone figure against a blue sky, aided only by a balancing pole. He made the death-defying stunt look easy, but the performance was anything but simple: it took dozens of circus workers to pull and release the thick black cables that controlled Wallenda's wire as he walked. The morning was windier than expected, and at one point near the end, Wallenda dipped down to one knee on the wire, which led to loud gasps among the crowd.
"I have to get into a zone where I kind of forget about everything else and just focus on what I'm doing," he said shortly before he stepped on the wire. "Fear is a choice but danger is real, and that's very, very true for my line of work."
When Wallenda went to one knee, the drama reached a fever pitch.
"Scary," said Neil Montford, a vacationer from the United Kingdom, while wiping sweat from his brow and looking skyward.
Wallenda, 34, wore a gold cross around his neck and prayed with his wife, children and parents prior to the walk.
"It's my job, it's my career, it's my passion, it's what I love to do," he said.
The Sarasota City Commission allowed the stunt without a tether. Wallenda wore a tether for the first time last summer when he walked across Niagara Falls because the television network that was paying for the performance insisted on it.
Wallenda is a seventh-generation high-wire artist and is part of the famous "Flying Wallendas" circus family. His great-grandfather, Karl Wallenda, fell during a performance in Puerto Rico and died.
But Wallenda wasn't focused on the possibility of tragedy. In the hours before the stunt, Wallenda walked underneath the wire, which was suspended between a crane and a condo in downtown Sarasota. He spoke of his city, of the nearby sparkling bay and how he loved to hear the cheers of the crowd while hundreds of feet up in the air.
___
Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush
Although SEO can be overwhelming and confusing when you first start out, it is important to understand the significance of it in your overall success with an internet based business. By collecting the right information, it is possible to optimize your website to obtain higher traffic and earn good search engine rankings. All of the links on or associated with your site should include keyword phrases in their titles or anchor text. ? as anchor text. This can help search engines rank your site based on the relevancy of your keywords. Check to make sure your internal links are using keywords as well.
A great way to improve your search engine optimization is to use keywords within your HTML tag. The title tags have more weight than any other words that appear on the page. Incorporate your strongest possible keywords into the title tags for optimum impact and watch your website traffic soar.
Do some podcasts! Podcasts can be both video and audio, and they are often streamed live with relevant information for their audience. Podcasts are becoming very popular with both users and webmasters. You simply need to grab a web cam and microphone, and start recording. The search engines then are able to grab your podcast descriptions.
Focus on mastering one SEO strategy at a time. It is impossible to become the best at every technique, so be sure to focus on one that will yield the best results for your business in 2013.
Use plural or longer variations of keywords to increase the opportunity for your site to pop up on search engines. Some search engines use what is known as keyword stemming. When you choose the singular of the keyword (e.g. accountant) results for the plural or variations (i.e. accountants, accounting) may not send seekers to your website. If you are using a search engine that uses keyword stemming, use the longest form of the word possible. Think about all the choices you have. These include press releases, discussion forums, blogs and article marketing. Good outbound links play a key role in determining your search engine ranking.
Configure your server such that it differentiates capital and lowercase letters in URLs. There are numerous negative effects not doing so can have on your rating.
If search engines notice you?re boosting your page rank through fraudulent or manipulative means, they?ll step in and lower your page rank. Sometimes popular search engines even ban certain businesses from their results entirely. Use methods that won?t be interpreted as unethical to fine tune your SEO efforts.
Depending on your resources, fully optimizing your website for just one or two major search engines may be best. Content with lots of keywords throughout your site will be an advantage no matter the search site. , Ask. But many of the major engines have their own particular nuances that are unique to themselves.
As you?ve learned, anyone who wants to make money online needs to optimize their site for search engines. Keep a copy of this article, and refer to it while you are putting its secrets to use. You will get more traffic and more money when you build a great website. Click here for an seo 2013 blueprint now
Study finds significant microorganism populations in middle and upper tropospherePublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Toon jtoon@gatech.edu 404-894-6986 Georgia Institute of Technology
Bugs in the Atmosphere
In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms principally bacteria in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above the Earth's surface.
Whether the microorganisms routinely inhabit this portion of the atmosphere perhaps living on carbon compounds also found there or whether they were simply lofted there from the Earth's surface isn't yet known. The finding is of interest to atmospheric scientists, because the microorganisms could play a role in forming ice that may impact weather and climate. Long-distance transport of the bacteria could also be of interest for disease transmission models.
The microorganisms were documented in air samples taken as part of NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) program to study low- and high-altitude air masses associated with tropical storms. The sampling was done from a DC-8 aircraft over both land and ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and portions of the Atlantic Ocean. The sampling took place before, during and after two major tropical hurricanes Earl and Karl in 2010.
The research, which has been supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, was scheduled to be published online January 28th by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"We did not expect to find so many microorganisms in the troposphere, which is considered a difficult environment for life," said Kostas Konstantinidis, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "There seems to be quite a diversity of species, but not all bacteria make it into the upper troposphere."
Aboard the aircraft, a filter system designed by the research team collected particles including the microorganisms from outside air entering the aircraft's sampling probes. The filters were analyzed using genomic techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing, which allowed the researchers to detect the microorganisms and estimate their quantities without using conventional cell-culture techniques.
When the air masses studied originated over the ocean, the sampling found mostly marine bacteria. Air masses that originated over land had mostly terrestrial bacteria. The researchers also saw strong evidence that the hurricanes had a significant impact on the distribution and dynamics of microorganism populations.
The study showed that viable bacterial cells represented, on average, around 20 percent of the total particles detected in the size range of 0.25 to 1 microns in diameter. By at least one order of magnitude, bacteria outnumbered fungi in the samples, and the researchers detected 17 different bacteria taxa including some that are capable of metabolizing the carbon compounds that are ubiquitous in the atmosphere such as oxalic acid.
The microorganisms could have a previously-unidentified impact on cloud formation by supplementing (or replacing) the abiotic particles that normally serve as nuclei for forming ice crystals, said Athanasios Nenes, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
"In the absence of dust or other materials that could provide a good nucleus for ice formation, just having a small number of these microorganisms around could facilitate the formation of ice at these altitudes and attract surrounding moisture," Nenes said. "If they are the right size for forming ice, they could affect the clouds around them."
The microorganisms likely reach the troposphere through the same processes that launch dust and sea salt skyward. "When sea spray is generated, it can carry bacteria because there are a lot of bacteria and organic materials on the surface of the ocean," Nenes said.
The research brought together microbiologists, atmospheric modelers and environmental researchers using the latest technologies for studying DNA. For the future, the researchers would like to know if certain types of bacteria are more suited than others for surviving at these altitudes. The researchers also want to understand the role played by the microorganisms and determine whether or not they are carrying on metabolic functions in the troposphere.
"For these organisms, perhaps, the conditions may not be that harsh," said Konstantinidis. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is active life and growth in clouds, but this is something we cannot say for sure now."
Other researchers have gathered biological samples from atop mountains or from snow samples, but gathering biological material from a jet aircraft required a novel experimental setup. The researchers also had to optimize protocols for extracting DNA from levels of biomass far lower than what they typically study in soils or lakes.
"We have demonstrated that our technique works, and that we can get some interesting information," Nenes said. "A big fraction of the atmospheric particles that traditionally would have been expected to be dust or sea salt may actually be bacteria. At this point we are just seeing what's up there, so this is just the beginning of what we hope to do."
###
The Georgia Tech team also included Natasha DeLeon-Rodriguez and Luis-Miguel Rodriguez-R from the Georgia Tech School of Biology, Terry Lathem from the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and James Barazesh and Michael Bergin from the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The Georgia Tech team received assistance from researchers Bruce Anderson, Andreas Beyersdorf, and Luke Ziemba with the Chemistry and Dynamics Branch/Science Directorate at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.
This research was supported, in part, by NASA grant number NNX10AM63G, by a GAANN Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education, a NASA-NESSF fellowship, and by a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NASA, the Department of Education or the NSF.
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?
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.
Study finds significant microorganism populations in middle and upper tropospherePublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Toon jtoon@gatech.edu 404-894-6986 Georgia Institute of Technology
Bugs in the Atmosphere
In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms principally bacteria in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above the Earth's surface.
Whether the microorganisms routinely inhabit this portion of the atmosphere perhaps living on carbon compounds also found there or whether they were simply lofted there from the Earth's surface isn't yet known. The finding is of interest to atmospheric scientists, because the microorganisms could play a role in forming ice that may impact weather and climate. Long-distance transport of the bacteria could also be of interest for disease transmission models.
The microorganisms were documented in air samples taken as part of NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) program to study low- and high-altitude air masses associated with tropical storms. The sampling was done from a DC-8 aircraft over both land and ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and portions of the Atlantic Ocean. The sampling took place before, during and after two major tropical hurricanes Earl and Karl in 2010.
The research, which has been supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, was scheduled to be published online January 28th by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"We did not expect to find so many microorganisms in the troposphere, which is considered a difficult environment for life," said Kostas Konstantinidis, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "There seems to be quite a diversity of species, but not all bacteria make it into the upper troposphere."
Aboard the aircraft, a filter system designed by the research team collected particles including the microorganisms from outside air entering the aircraft's sampling probes. The filters were analyzed using genomic techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing, which allowed the researchers to detect the microorganisms and estimate their quantities without using conventional cell-culture techniques.
When the air masses studied originated over the ocean, the sampling found mostly marine bacteria. Air masses that originated over land had mostly terrestrial bacteria. The researchers also saw strong evidence that the hurricanes had a significant impact on the distribution and dynamics of microorganism populations.
The study showed that viable bacterial cells represented, on average, around 20 percent of the total particles detected in the size range of 0.25 to 1 microns in diameter. By at least one order of magnitude, bacteria outnumbered fungi in the samples, and the researchers detected 17 different bacteria taxa including some that are capable of metabolizing the carbon compounds that are ubiquitous in the atmosphere such as oxalic acid.
The microorganisms could have a previously-unidentified impact on cloud formation by supplementing (or replacing) the abiotic particles that normally serve as nuclei for forming ice crystals, said Athanasios Nenes, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
"In the absence of dust or other materials that could provide a good nucleus for ice formation, just having a small number of these microorganisms around could facilitate the formation of ice at these altitudes and attract surrounding moisture," Nenes said. "If they are the right size for forming ice, they could affect the clouds around them."
The microorganisms likely reach the troposphere through the same processes that launch dust and sea salt skyward. "When sea spray is generated, it can carry bacteria because there are a lot of bacteria and organic materials on the surface of the ocean," Nenes said.
The research brought together microbiologists, atmospheric modelers and environmental researchers using the latest technologies for studying DNA. For the future, the researchers would like to know if certain types of bacteria are more suited than others for surviving at these altitudes. The researchers also want to understand the role played by the microorganisms and determine whether or not they are carrying on metabolic functions in the troposphere.
"For these organisms, perhaps, the conditions may not be that harsh," said Konstantinidis. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is active life and growth in clouds, but this is something we cannot say for sure now."
Other researchers have gathered biological samples from atop mountains or from snow samples, but gathering biological material from a jet aircraft required a novel experimental setup. The researchers also had to optimize protocols for extracting DNA from levels of biomass far lower than what they typically study in soils or lakes.
"We have demonstrated that our technique works, and that we can get some interesting information," Nenes said. "A big fraction of the atmospheric particles that traditionally would have been expected to be dust or sea salt may actually be bacteria. At this point we are just seeing what's up there, so this is just the beginning of what we hope to do."
###
The Georgia Tech team also included Natasha DeLeon-Rodriguez and Luis-Miguel Rodriguez-R from the Georgia Tech School of Biology, Terry Lathem from the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and James Barazesh and Michael Bergin from the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The Georgia Tech team received assistance from researchers Bruce Anderson, Andreas Beyersdorf, and Luke Ziemba with the Chemistry and Dynamics Branch/Science Directorate at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.
This research was supported, in part, by NASA grant number NNX10AM63G, by a GAANN Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education, a NASA-NESSF fellowship, and by a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NASA, the Department of Education or the NSF.
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?
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.
CHICAGO (AP) ? As Illinois becomes the fourth and most populous state to give illegal immigrants permission to drive, nagging concerns remain about whether there are enough safeguards to avoid the identity fraud and other pitfalls other states faced.
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed Illinois' measure into law Sunday in Chicago. Backers, including Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and some of the state's top Republicans, tout it as a public-safety measure. They argue that required facial recognition technology is reliable enough to prevent fraud.
They hailed it as an important step for immigrant rights in Illinois, which approved its own Dream Act in 2010 to create a privately-funded scholarship program for immigrant students. President Barack Obama plans to discuss his plan to overhaul the immigration system during a trip to Las Vegas on Tuesday.
"This was a bipartisan effort to pass an important law," Quinn said. "When the president speaks on Tuesday, he can say about his home state of Illinois ... we not only passed the Dream Act last year, we passed driver's licenses for those who are undocumented ."
However, the law's opponents have pointed to hundreds of fraudulent cases in New Mexico, Washington and Utah after those states began giving illegal immigrants permission to drive. Illinois will not require applicants to be fingerprinted, for fear that would discourage immigrants from applying.
"How many people would apply for this document knowing that fingerprints will be going to (federal authorities)? Probably not all that many," said Fred Tsao, policy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a driving-force behind the measure.
Proponents say it will allow an estimated 250,000 people unlawfully residing in the state to apply for a three-year temporary driver's license and require them to get training and insurance. The Illinois secretary of state's office said the licenses will be available starting in October.
Those ready for the change include 45-year-old Victoria Chavez.
"I need to get my driver's license because I have two kids," the Chicago woman said. "They need my support. This is a victory for all of us in the immigrant community."
The licenses will be like those already issued to certain foreign-born, legal visitors. Applicants will be photographed, and their photo will be entered into the state's facial recognition database ? like the rest of Illinois' licensed drivers? to verify their identity.
But other states' driving programs for illegal immigrants have been abused. New Mexico and Washington both issue licenses, while Utah issues a permit.
An Associated Press investigation last year found a striking pattern in New Mexico, suggesting immigrants tried to game the system to obtain a license. In one instance, 48 foreign-born individuals claimed to live at a smoke shop in Albuquerque to fulfill a residency condition.
Authorities also busted a fraud ring last year that forged documents for illegal immigrants to use after driving from as far as Illinois and North Carolina to obtain a New Mexico license. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has vowed for years to repeal the decade-old measure, but the Legislature has rejected such efforts.
Washington's requirements attracted national attention when Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, revealed his illegal immigration status in an essay for the New York Times Magazine in 2011. Vargas chronicled how he obtained his Washington license. State authorities conducted an investigation that revealed Vargas did not reside at the address he stated in his application and canceled his license.
Utah's permit is not valid for identification. Illinois' law follows suit.
Utah's Republican-controlled Legislature amended the state's law in 2011 to require illegal immigrants to be fingerprinted, and mandates that the state notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if an applicant's fingerprint check yields a felony on record. If the applicant has a misdemeanor warrant outstanding, the state must notify the agency that is seeking the person's arrest.
That kind of information-sharing between state and immigration authorities worries Illinois' immigrant-rights advocates, such as Tsao, who pushed for the legislation without a fingerprinting requirement. They say fingerprinting could deter potential licensees from applying for fear of being identified and deported.
Local law enforcement officials argue in favor of fingerprinting.
"We could see if they have committed a crime; it could be a crime in another state or it could be a crime in their home country," said John Kennedy, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Illinois secretary of state's office says its facial recognition database is highly sophisticated and accurate. The program uses an algorithm to match more than a dozen facial features that are not easy to alter, such as eye sockets and sides of the mouth.
"The integrity of our driver's license system is a priority," said Henry Haupt, a spokesman for the office.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Edward Acevedo, a Chicago Democrat, said state roads will be safer because illegal immigrants will receive training and be tested before obtaining a license. They also will be required to purchase insurance, Acevedo said.
Tsao's organization estimates uninsured illegal immigrant drivers cause $64 million in damage claims each year, an expense currently covered by increased premiums.
LONDON (Reuters) - The world's biggest coffee chain Starbucks Corp denied it had threatened to suspend investment in Britain in protest over perceived government criticism of its tax affairs.
"Starbucks remains fully committed to opening 300 new stores and creating 5,000 new jobs by 2016," the company said in a statement on Sunday.
"We do not discuss the details of our Government meetings, but can say that we do not recognize how it has been reported."
The Sunday Telegraph said the Seattle-based coffee chain had demanded talks with British officials last week after Prime Minister David Cameron warned tax-avoiding firms to "wake up and smell the coffee" - seen as a reference to Starbucks.
Starbucks threatened to put on hold plans announced last year to invest 100 million pounds ($158.06 million) in new British branches, the paper said, citing unnamed sources close to the company.
Last year, Starbucks was caught up in a consumer backlash against legal techniques used by companies to cut their tax bills after Reuters revealed it had booked no profit and paid no tax in Britain for three years, despite telling investors its British arm was profitable.
The company has since bowed to public pressure and is expected to pay about 20 million pounds in British corporation tax over the next two years.
($1 = 0.6327 British pounds)
(Reporting by Myles Neligan; Editing by Alison Birrane)
Like buttons? Numark at NAMM evidently thinks they are this season's DJ must have. The latest bit of kit to get the manual-input makeover? Its NS7 II Serato DJ controller. The second iteration of its motorized-platter DJ tool lands augmented with 16 "MPC-style" pads. Of course, when you are part of the same corporation that also makes the MPC, swinging these sort of add-ons must be a little easier. Those pads will be assignable to a host of features (cues, loop, roll, sampler, and slicer) in the Serato DJ software (sadly not ready for a demo with the hardware at this time). Of course, the NS7 II is all MIDI compatible, so if your software of choice is something else, then you are free to map and a buse as you wish. That's not all, you might notice in the picture above that the pads have some jazzy colors going on. They are have RGB illumination which can be set and customized to your choice by MIDI data. It's not all about the pads though. Numark has also added touch functionality to a lot of the rotaries. So, if you have one set to control a filter, you can just tap the tip of the control to trigger it on / off. The last of the big news is that with the NS7 II, you can also control four virtual decks. A nice addition for the fast-fingered DJs out there. We ran into the device on the show floor and spent some time with it. Head past the break for more.
If you ever got your hands on the original NS7, you'll know that it is quite the machine. Big, heavy, covered in controls, and most famously, sporting fully motorized 7-inch platters. It's this curious mix of new and old methodology that pretty much sums up the Serato DJ software it is designed to work with. With the NS7 II, it's basically more of the same. The hardware is built like a tank, the platters feel authentic enough to bring back nostalgia (even if it's in smaller, 7-inch form). The MPC buttons look and feel great too. Intense mashing and finger / thumb abuse? These look more than capable at taking it by the bucket load. The color effect is pleasing to the eye. We're not sure how important it will be in real world application, but if you like to mark out your triggers and samples, this will let you do that. And what the heck, it just looks pretty sweet -- never a bad thing. As for the touch-enabled rotaries? Well, sadly we'll just have to imagine how they work, as there was no connected software for us to test them out. We're imagining it to be a handy feature, none the less. The same applies to the four deck functionality. We were unable to test it, but it's utilitarian enough that we welcome the addition. Each of the two hardware platters has a pair of buttons beneath it letting you switch between decks easily. These buttons are again, solid and firm, letting you get carried away without damaging your new pride and joy.
Prospective buyers will be pleased to know that as Numark has done before, the unit also contains a full independent mixer. This means you can plug in CDJs, turntables and more and bring them into your set without problem. That mixer is also somewhat larger this time around, thanks to the extra two channels it sports for the four decks. This also serves to enhance its chunky, no messin' look and feel. We'd love to have spent some time actually using it, but alas it wasn't to be. We did manage to grab some video of the hardware though, so head south to take a look of that, while we patiently wait for price and availability information.
CUMMING, Iowa (AP) ? U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin will not seek re-election in 2014, the Iowa Democrat said Saturday.
The 73-year-old Harkin told The Associated Press in an interview, "It's just time to step aside," noting that by the time he would finish a sixth term, he would be 81.
Harkin said the move also would allow a new generation of Democrats to seek higher office.
The announcement comes as a surprise, considering he had $2.7 million in his campaign war chest and was planning a gala fundraiser in Washington, D.C., next month.
Harkin is a leading liberal in the Senate, chairing the health, education, labor and pensions committee and having served as a key salesman of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care bill to the wary left.
No Iowa Republicans have taken formal steps toward seeking the seat.
Harkin's decision eases the burden on the GOP, who have to gain six seats to win the majority in the Senate. The president's party historically loses seats in the midterm elections after his re-election. Obama, a Democrat, was re-elected last year.
It's bad enough when overworked Chinese adults are killing themselves and rioting because of our Apple lust—adding kids under 16 is just awful. But Apple says it's cutting these industrious, exploited kiddos out of the supply chain. More »
Get yo' popcorn ready. When your company is announcing the latest and greatest mobile OS, why not seize the opportunity to scrape up a few million bucks to make sure the entire world gets a proper introduction? Research in Motion will be forking out for a Super Bowl spot (which averages $3.8 million this year), as part of an effort to get the word out about BlackBerry 10. Let's just hope it's not shown the exact moment 40 million people head to the fridge. A little presser can be found past the break.
Show full PR text
January 25, 2013 - Today Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM)confirms that BlackBerry 10, its new mobile computing platform that will power the next generation of smartphones and tablets, will be featured in a commercial during Super Bowl XLVII.
This confirmation kicks-off a week of worldwide launch activity for RIM's BlackBerry 10 platform, along with the first two devices to run on the new platform. These activities are part of a broad integrated marketing campaign to support the global rollout of BlackBerry 10. In addition to the 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl that will air in both the U.S. and Canada, BlackBerry will be integrated into a number of pre- and post-game on-site, digital and social activities, including real time engagement with BlackBerry social fans on Facebook and Twitter, as well as extending and amplifying exposure and fan engagement through Promoted Posts and Sponsored Story ads.
"A Super Bowl commercial, is a great opportunity to show the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry to tens of millions of consumers on the largest advertising stage of the year," said Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer, Research In Motion. "BlackBerry has 30 million social media fans, and we're looking forward to continuing to encourage them and all NFL football fans to see the power of BlackBerry 10 for themselves."
You may have read the review of Southland Whiskey Kitchen in the Oregonian last week. Critic Michael Russell was not impressed, giving it one of the lowest scores I?ve seen in that newspaper ? a D (I can only remember this happening once before, in a review by Roger Porter for Pinocchio?a now closed Italian restaurant on the South Park blocks). The O review was followed a few days later by a another take by in the Portland Mercury by?Chris Onstad, which wasn?t exactly glowing, but not nearly as bad as Russell?s take.
Some classic lines from the Oregonian review:
Mess-hall macaroni, boiled to shreds, was mixed with clumpy orange cheese. Lifeless gumbo hid shrimp and crawfish, squeaky andouille sausage and post-al-dente rice. Smoked ribs, cool and mealy, were served with two towers of panko-fried onion rings that accomplished the not-insignificant feat of being both overcooked (batter) and raw (onion) at the same time.
?any flavor once held by the pork shoulder was overwhelmed by a vile jalape?o cheese spread.
The review ends by strongly hinting you?d be better off by going to Smokehouse 21 which is up the street.
In the Portland Mercury review, Onstad ends by saying,
?Southland Whiskey Kitchen is a reliable source of fairly priced, accessible, archetypal Southern fare that satisfies but?with a few exceptions?does not wow. It is a place to enjoy good whiskey in a flawlessly attractive, upscale-casual setting, but not for those seeking food with a distinct personality.?
Not exactly glowing, but not particularly scathing either.
Folks are wondering how this could happen, but I have no problem believing they are both right. I can?t tell you how many times I?ve written a glowing review of a restaurant based on my normal three separate meals, and then gone back a month later to be served mostly lousy food. Obviously I hate it when this happens: I end up looking like a schmuck.
Let?s face it, rare is the restaurant where every dish is good; ordering blind can be a?crap-shoot.? Sometimes you happen to get lucky, most of the time you don?t. These days I don?t believe most reviewers have as many meals at each restaurant as they did back in the halcyon days of hefty income from large classified ad sections, and most of the time it shows. I recently had a friend comment about a local review, saying ?It reads like they only went to the restaurant one time.? Sadly, he?s probably right.
So there it is; it may be possible to go to the Southland Whiskey Kitchen and have a bad meal, or, depending on the things you order, a unmemorable meal. However, I have a question for both of them: why the heck did you review it in the first place?!
It?s owned by Casa Del Matador chain, establishments which are not exactly known for anything except a good drinking scene populated by young singles. With all the restaurants in town, you pick that one? Who cares?
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Renewed threats from North Korea's regime have given rise to questions about how far the North Koreans will go in carrying them out.
By Donald Kirk,?Correspondent / January 25, 2013
People watch a TV news showing file footage of a North Korean rocket carried during a military parade, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday. How serious are the North Korean threats against both the US and South Korea this week and how far will the North Koreans go in carrying them out?
Ahn Young-joon/AP
Enlarge
An outpouring of North Korean rhetoric against both the US and South Korea this week raises the inevitable questions: How serious are the North Korean threats and how far will the North Koreans go in carrying them out?
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North Korea?s latest threat of ?strong countermeasures? against South Korea if the South supports UN sanctions against the North actually worries some analysts more than the North?s claim to be testing a nuclear device?capable of hitting the US. ?
No one believes North Korea is about to ?target? the US in the near future with more than rhetorical volleys, but North Korea has staged numerous ?incidents? against South Korea and might well have some more in mind.
?The North Koreans are playing with fire,? says David Straub, associate director of the Korean studies program at Stanford University. ?It?s more dangerous than the nuclear threat.?
North Korea?s Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea blasted South Korea in language that strikes observers as anything but peaceful.
?There will be no more discussion on denuclearization between the North and South in the future,? it said in a statement. "If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the UN 'sanctions,' it said, "the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will take strong physical counter-measures against it."?Indeed, the statement went on " 'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration of war against us."
The fear is that North Korea will challenge the South with surprise attacks similar to those in 2010, when a torpedo sank a South Korean Navy vessel, killing 46 sailors, and shells fired from the North Korean coast killed four people on a small South Korean island.?
The North Koreans appear to be testing the will of South Korea?s president-elect, Park Geun-hye, daughter of the long-ruling South Korean dictator, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated in 1979. Many observers believe that Ms. Park, who will be inaugurated next month, is likely be a tougher leader than outgoing President Lee Kyung-bak, also a conservative but reluctant to act militarily against the North. (Read Donald Kirk's reporting on South Korea's first woman president here)
Under Park, says Mr. Straub, ?there?s a significant possibility the South Koreans will respond.?
At the same time, analysts expect North Korea to increase tensions by conducting another underground test of a nuclear device. North Korea conducted nuclear tests twice previously ? in 2006 and 2009 ? soon after test-firing long-range missiles.
A third nuclear test would ?fit in with a familiar pattern," says Tony Namkung, a scholar and consultant who visited North Korea twice this month ? first with Eric Schmidt, the Google executive chairman, and again with executives from the Associated Press, for which he serves as a consultant on its bureau in Pyongyang.
Mr. Namkung worries that the next test will be more advanced than the previous two. Many analysts believe the device will use highly enriched uranium, not the plutonium at the core of previous devices.
Still, he senses that ?they?re loosening up in Pyongyang,? creating a freer atmosphere. ?There are signs of change? toward normal lifestyles, he says.
Kim Ki-sam, a former officer with South Korea?s National Intelligence Service, predicts the North will test a nuclear device before Park?s inauguration. ?Their tactic is to raise tension,? says Mr. Kim. ?Then they compromise.?
He believes ?the situation will be very bad to appearances,? he adds, ?but that doesn?t mean the overall situation will be worse.??
Choi Jin-wook, a long-time North Korea expert at the Korean Institute of National Unification in Seoul, believes one central aim of North Korean strategists surrounding the young leader Kim Jong-un is a desire for respect. ?They want to make clear they are a nuclear power,? he says.?
L. Gordon Flake, executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington, takes a somewhat sanguine view of the furor over North Korea. "It' s the North Korean playbook, it's what they've been doing for 20 years," he says.He believes North Korea indeed is getting ready for another nuclear test ? the reason for the rhetoric ? but does not take the escalation of the rhetoric very seriously. "We need to know what they've always been saying," he says. "It's cut and paste."?
We all know that lenders use our credit scores to evaluate us and our "credit worthiness," but there are also less-known ways credit card companies are keeping tabs on us. Credit Sesame points out five of these additional scores, including one that monitors your spending behavior. 
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Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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