Michelle Materre's professional background spans more than 25 years in television, film and video with a concentration on independent film. She has worked in a myriad capacities and is here to discuss how she got her start.
At only 20 years old, J. Anton Boykin is already affectionately known as the "Sax Sensation." Since the age of eight he has been mastering the craft of music. Come listen to him talk about what inspires him.
EGH Media presents Rowan Galagher who is The Mad Pride. A singer, songwriter and instrumentalist who doesn't read music and also successfully controls Tourette?s syndrome.
Helen Yoest, award winning lifestyle writer and stylist whose work has appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home, Martha Stewart Living & Fine Gardening magazines joins us to discuss her new book "Gardening With Confidence"
MGN Radio welcomes Author Ngozi Achebe to discuss her new book, Onaedo - The Blacksmith's Daughter on our show. Her debut novel has already been nominated for several literary awards.
The Gridiron Chefs with TP Tymless and James Greenwood break down the weeks games in the NFL, the pressing topics around the league and listener questions.
If you want to know who the ?real? Mitt Romney is, tune in this Saturday at Noon ET to hear from Dr. Dane Bryant, a lifelong friend of the GOP candidate.
This week Tim and Jill will finish the discussion on LGBT and Marriage Equality, this is a hot topic that has been trending on social networks and is an important issue for voters as we near election time.
Francy and Friends will be LIVE from The Days of Terror Convention, be sure to tune in as they will be meeting some of the biggest names in horror films. You never know who you might run into.
It's open-wheel racing and NASCAR on this episode, as Dustin Parks will be joined by guest co-host Glenn Locke. These two always bring great conversation, and this will be no different.
Grab your Saturday morning coffee and tune into "Those Diner and Motorcycle Guys" hosted by those eggs over easy riders Garrison Leykam and Scot Doane. "Those Diner and Motorcycle Guys"...talk radio was never like this!
The Bad Seed and Nadine Michel welcome Krayz Drayz of the legendary hip hop group; Das Efx, to the show. Krayz Drayz stops by to discuss the origon of the "iggedy" style that blew up all over the world.
BGE Radio welcomes Playboy Model Crissy Henderson to the show. Crissy is an actress, model and philanthropist. Tune in as she speaks about her life and upcoming work.
BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick wants Massachusetts men to know that they also can get breast cancer.
Men rarely get breast cancer, but those who do often don't survive as long as women, mainly because they don't even realize they can get it and are slow to recognize the warning signs.
A recent study found that men's breast tumors were larger at diagnosis, more advanced and more likely to have spread to other parts of the body.
Many men have no idea that they can get breast cancer, and some doctors are in the dark, too, dismissing symptoms that would be an automatic red flag in women.
Patrick is hoping to change that in Massachusetts beginning Monday, when he signs a bill designating the third week of October as Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week.
With the world population and food prices rising, a Sunnyvale, California startup has a great idea, combining robotics and agricultural practices. They are using computer technology to recognize and remove weeds from farmers? fields, saving both money and the environment.
While students at Stanford University, Jorge Heraud and Lee Redden came up with the idea in a class and are now making it a reality through Blue River Technology, founded in 2011. According to the website, the necessary qualities are ?robotics, computer vision, machine learning and precision agriculture.?
There are many advantages to their computer automation of agriculture. Let robots eliminate the weeds, instead of spending $25 billion a year on herbicides. Purge the weeds without contaminating the crops or the environment or making people sick.
There are also applications for organic fields, which already avoid harmful chemicals. Instead, many people must pull the weeds, which is uncomfortable, grueling work.
Some plants have become resistant to herbicides, so they are sometimes ineffective, anyway.
To automate the farming work, Blue River Technology incorporates three procedures to identify and eliminate weeds. First, the machine determines if something in its path is a plant; if yes, is it a weed; and finally, if yes, remove it.
As removing herbicides improves farms, virus removal from computers improves the computing experience. Choose a trustworthy computer professional, such as RESCUECOM, when you need virus removal or computer support.
Blue River Technology has already begun testing a prototype attached to a tractor on cooperating farmers? fields. Called the Lettuce-Bot, the prototype weeds and thins lettuce plants.
A camera trained to recognize lettuce analyzes plants growing in a lettuce field. In the next step, either a knife or a focused dose of herbicide can remove non-lettuce plants. Although herbicides are part of the testing, the company plans more environmentally responsible methods for the future.
Jorge Heraud, Blue River Technology CEO, told RESCUECOM, ?The technical feasibility of the Lettuce-Bot technology has been verified, and next steps will focus to strengthen the algorithms at the core of our computer vision system, as well as prepare the product for commercialization. The product will be available in early 2013.?
Blue River Technology recently received a $3.1 million investment from Khosla Ventures. ?The funds will be used primarily to grow the engineering team and accelerate product development,? Heraud noted. ?We?re looking for exceptional talent to join our efforts in pushing the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning.?
Let us hope that this technology gives the world a better chance of feeding its people and preserving its environment.
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About RESCUECOM:
RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit http://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.
Tammy Kabell & Will Gladhart discuss exactly how you can utilize Twitter to uncover 0K+ job positions. Visit CareerResumeConsulting.com for more executive job search tips and branding strategies. To listen to part 1 of how to utilize and uncover immediate opportunities on LinkedIn for your Career Search visit www.youtube.com Will Gladhart, owner of Will Gladhart Consulting, a successful social media marketing company, has developed for us an extremely comprehensive, but very easy to understand, step-by-step guide setting up a Twitter account and using it specifically for job searching. (?and you never have to tweet)! You can access this document by visiting www.slideshare.com Video Rating: 5 / 5
CHECK OUT FRAGSS! ? www.youtube.com ? www.facebook.com _______________________________________ Music supplied by Monstercat Media Artist: TwoThirds Video link: www.youtube.com Album download link: (see below) Album Download Links ==================== Ephixa Licensed Music: www.Ephixa.com Album #1 itunes.apple.com Album #2: itunes.apple.com _______________________________________ What is WAY? ? See way.tgn.tv Join the conversation at http Tell us what you think in the comments below. Click ?Like? and ?Add to? Favorites? if you like this video! =-=-=-= _______________________________________ WAY? (We Are You) ? tgn.tv YouTube Handbook ? Get more views! ? tgn.tv Livestream Handbook ? Get more viewers! ? tgn.tv TGN grew from 0-10 million in 5 months and shares how in the YouTube handbook! Towelliee went from to a high 4-figure monthly income in 4 months solely from livestreaming and he shares how in the Livestream handbook! _______________________________________ TGN on Facebook ? tgn.tv TGN on Twitter ? tgn.tv TGN on Google+ ? tgn.tv TGN on YouTube ? tgn.tv _______________________________________ Stay up-to-date on everything TGN! ? tgn.tv Get more TGN! ? tgn.tv Video Rating: 3 / 5
Panama's legislature has approved a draconian file sharing law that gives law enforcements free hand to pursue and punish file sharers directly, and grants officials bonuses based on fines levied.
?Proyecto 510-2012 ?On Copyright and Related Rights,? or the 510 Bill, which legal watchdog InfoJustice calls "incredibly unbalanced," was passed in the Panamanian Congress Thursday. It is now awaiting the approval of President Ricardo Martinelli, which could happen in the immediate future.
The bill, which Andres Guadamuz at tech-law blog TechnoLlama called the "worst copyright law in history," was written by Panamanian officials in order to bring the country's Internet regulations into accordance with the US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement ? but overshoots many of the requirements it's meant to fulfill.
For example, it ascribes copyrighted status to temporary electronic files, like those held in a computer's random access memory (commonly known as RAM). According to InfoJustice, the 510 Bill is unique among national Internet laws in that it does not contain provisions for these so-called "transient" and "incidental" files. This means that users who stream paid-for content through services like Netflix or Pandora could be prosecuted and fined as much as $100,000, or $200,000 for repeat offenders, for having copyrighted material on their computers.
It also gives law enforcement officers incentives to punish file sharers ? over and over, if they see fit ? as the money collected from the fines goes directly to the Panamanian copyright office's bonus pool, with the copyright holder not seeing a dime. ?The funds accrued by the General Copyright Directorate from the fees for the services it provides and the fines imposed in the exercise of its powers, will be aimed at improving its operational infrastructure and to boost the performance of its officers," the law reads.
However, the file sharer could still be liable to civil action should the copyright holder wish to file for it. And if convicted in either case, file sharers could be forced to pay for the publication of a press release noting that they've been fined for piracy.
Whether you have a small project, small business or a large commercial business, the decision to outsource work may be one of the best decisions you?ll ever make.
First of all, let me tell you of my experience in outsourcing work. I run a website, produce apps and I?m currently producing an indie movie. I only started outsourcing work about a year ago and in that year I have gained experience on the mostly ups, and sometimes downs of outsourcing. This article is subjective and is written off of the back of the experiences I?ve had personally in outsourcing work.
I won?t beat around the bush here. I was once like many other people producing projects and was thinking: ?I?ll never find anyone who would be willing to put the work in and enthusiasm that I do on specific tasks within a project.? Well, I was wrong, because that all changed ?when I started to give outsourcing a tentative try, to the present day where I am now outsourcing a lot of tasks. I?ve outsourced graphics, research, articles, videos and a whole host of other project components.
Here is a list of the positive aspects of outsourcing . . .
A Win/Win Situation
In response to my old way of thinking that no-one would be as energetic and enthusiastic in completing a task within a given project as I was, working on my personal project. Well, the business or self employed service provider is working on a project him or herself too . . . I?ll repeat that key phrase here. . .they are usually building a project themselves. They are trying to build the best service possible and want you to be happy, just as you probably are. You can outsource work to speed up your project and they in turn add you as a happy client if they do a great job. They then build up their business and cultivate word of mouth contacts, gain experience, build a portfolio and become trusted specialists to boot.
For example, let?s say you hire an up and coming web designer. He does a great job and you are happy with his work. In turn he gains profit and reinvests it into his business project. You also recommend this business or person to friends or contacts. Your website is also featured in a portfolio in that web designer?s array of completed works. Whose project benefits the most? The answer is that both of your projects are mutually benefited. It?s a win/win situation!
Specialisation
Let?s look at the outsourcing to a talented web designer scenario. Well, it?s real for me right now because I have teamed up with a good web designer ?- Octavian Ristea at Laeta Designs to redesign an app promotion and landing page. Could I design this website on my own? Yes, with a considerable amount of time spent going around a time-consuming learning curve that would seriously eat up my time. Plus, an experienced web designer has had more experience than me and will come up with ideas that would take me ages to think up.
A specialist will be faster too. In fact, an experienced web designer will be up to 5 times faster than I would be with my limited experience in constructing websites regularly.
You Can Choose Your Team
How often have you been asked at an interview this hackneyed corporate question: ?Are you a team player. Can you work as a team?? How many people answer ?No, I prefer working on my own without interference.? The answer is that no-one, unless they have poor social skills would answer in this way. Instead, we give the hackneyed reply . . . ?Yes, I work well as a team and on my own too.? Yawn. It is one of the dumbest questions I?ve ever been asked and it is so automated and impractical. Of course we can work well in a team if the team is a great team. If it?s a dysfunctional team it can be a nightmare!
Here?s the beauty of outsourcing . . . you can build a ?really cracking team right from the start. You can look for like-minded people and really create that corporate hackneyed phrase ?synergy? fly in the real world, with real results.
As well as your team being built, the person doing business with you, however large or small has added you to their team too! That?s real teamwork, not a corporate mismatch through automated-like interview selection, eventually patching a team together who are stabbing each other in the back to race up the corporate ladder, due to deliberate attempts by corporations to get ?team members? in competition with each other ? disguised with such hackneyed titles such as ?Employee of the month? or ?Tops seller? with even a grade added such as ?Level 1 achiever? etc, etc.
It?s fun!
When you?ve found specialists and built a solid, real relationship with your partners you can really enjoy talking to like-minded people who have enthusiasm and their interests are following a close line parallel to your interests. You are helping each other in various ways and you make real friends. This is in stark contrast to the 1000 Facebook friends who would not even attend your own funeral, let alone notice that you?ve even kicked the bucket.
When you make a connection with someone like-minded and are working on a project together, which is mutually beneficial, it can be really fun. In fact, you can learn a lot from each other in the process.
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Make Real Connections
That?s right, you can make real connections. Have you ever watched one of those sales guys or girls handing out business cards whilst drinking free coffee and cookies at a trade show or business convention. Revisit the convention next year and the chances are you will see the same sales reps doing the same exact thing. Yes, they drum up some business and link their employers with services. But you have an advantage, you are not linking up with people via some 3rd party employer. You are linking up 1 to 1. In fact, a smarter approach, instead of handing business cards out at events would be to ask yourself ?How can I help this person? And how can we help each other?? If a workable answer comes forth, approach them personally, as this is better than handing out 100 business cards, with %99 percent of the business cards being thrown in the bin.
I have never printed out business cards and never intend to either. In my view it is better to buy a beer for someone you can actually help and write down your email address or Facebook URL on a napkin whilst having a laugh and give it to them personally. First of all, if they feel the same way they will contact you for sure. If they have any doubts they will not. You will also have a genuine personal relationship with them and they know you as a person, which is a lot stronger than being just a ?contact?.
You may raise the question . . . yes, but they are not real friends as you both mutually need something. Well, this concept falls short in a number of areas. If you give your phone number to a hot girl/guy, is it because you don?t want anything? No. Your are interested in a relationship with them if you find them attractive. Would you hand your phone number over to a girl/guy who doesn?t keep up their personal hygiene? No. You are both looking for someone to share experiences with, to swap ideas, get a feel good factor going.
In any scenario you have to bring something to the table. Be it mutual friendship, a relationship or even an interest in mutually swapping points of view. That?s real life. Outside of your 9 to 5 job, that?s reality, you don?t waste time unless you can both grow from a friendship or relationship or even a business relationship. In fact, even if relationships start out to be a business project, if you make a connection and become a friend, well . . . that?s a win/win/win situation because you can help each other on projects, plus both enjoy a friendship and productive working relationship at the same time.
You Are Already Outsourcing (whether you are aware of it or not)
You may think . . . I?m new to this outsourcing thing, but are you? When you take your car in for a service, could you do it yourself? Of course you could change the oil, check the fluid levels and maybe even change the break pads and steam clean your engine if you put your mind to it. All you have to do is research how to do this, buy a steam cleaning machine, some brake pads, fluids and oil and off you go. But, what do you do ? you outsource the work as you don?t have time.
When you go to a local cafe and order a coffee and a sandwich. Part of the treat here is that you are paying for the privilege of relaxing. You don?t have to make the coffee or butter the sandwich, someone is doing it for you and their business is benefiting as a result. What about when you are on holiday and use the laundry service. Same thing again.
Disadvantages of outsourcing . . .
You?ll get the odd disappointing result of a service or a task. That?s life. Cross them off of your list and move on to finding the right team members.
People/services change. Sometimes, someone who you have been working with for a while may change, or take a different route in life. Never mind, remain friends and enjoy the ride while it lasts. You may even hook up again in an area where you are both working on in the future. People move on and you are not tied to each other, so give your team space and they will in turn give you space to take different tangents in life.
Delivery times: Sometimes there will be a late delivery as you are not in control of the process. I would outsource only work where there is not a stressful delivery date looming. If you want more control on delivery dates for a task within a project, either specify a delivery date way before you actually need it, or employ staff where you can control the process.
In Conclusion
So, in a nutshell, it may be worth looking at other areas of your work/business that could benefit from outsourcing. It is a circle that is ongoing . . . some people outsource to you, as in when I do app reviews on this site, and sometimes you will outsource to others.
Above all, it?s fun! Enjoy the ride.
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Article by Kevin Baker
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An Egyptian-American man behind an anti-Islam film that has stoked violent protests across the Muslim world was arrested on Thursday in California for allegedly violating his probation, and a federal judge ordered him jailed without bond.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was taken into custody at an undisclosed location by U.S. marshals and brought to court in Los Angeles still wearing his street clothes but handcuffed and shackled at the waist.
Nakoula has been under investigation by probation officials looking into whether he violated the terms of his 2011 release from prison on a bank fraud conviction while making the film, though authorities have said they were not probing the movie itself.
"The court has a lack of trust in the defendant at this time," U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal said in refusing Nakoula's request for bail at a hearing in U.S. District Court.
His crudely made 13-minute video was filmed in California and circulated online under several titles including "Innocence of Muslims." It portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and a sexual deviant.
The clip sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries over the past two weeks. The violence coincided with an attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.
Nakoula, under the terms of his release from jail, has been barred from accessing the Internet or using aliases without the permission of a probation officer, court records show. He now faces eight probation violation accusations.
In denying his request for bail, Segal called him a flight risk and said the Coptic Christian filmmaker who most recently lived in the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos had "engaged in a lengthy pattern of deception," including using several aliases.
DEFENSE SAYS JAIL DANGEROUS FOR NAKOULA
Nakoula has stayed out of the public eye for much of the past two weeks, amid outrage over the film. Last week, Pakistani Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour offered $100,000 to anyone who kills the maker of the video.
The Pakistani prime minister's office later distanced itself from that statement.
A lawyer for Nakoula expressed concern in court on Thursday for his client's safety and asked that the hearing be closed to the media.
Reporters were not allowed into the hearing but watched from a specially arranged viewing room a block away, and the judge ordered that a camera filming the proceedings for closed-circuit viewing not show Nakoula's face.
Defense attorney Steve Seiden, in asking for Nakoula's release on $10,000 bond, argued unsuccessfully that he had stayed in touch with probation officials even while in hiding.
"It's a danger for him to be in custody at Metropolitan Detention Center due to the large Muslim population there," Seiden said, referring to the federal jail in downtown Los Angeles where Nakoula would likely be housed.
But prosecutors said Nakoula, who could be sent back to prison for up to two years if he is found to have violated the terms of his release, had been dishonest with the court, even about his name.
"Most specifically, he did not accurately present himself as who he was to the people he cast in the film," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Dugdale, adding that in his view Nakoula would be safer behind bars.
The probation issues were the latest of Nakoula's legal woes. On Wednesday, an actress who says she was duped into appearing in the film sued Nakoula, who she identified as the producer. Cindy Lee Garcia also named YouTube and its parent company Google Inc as defendants in the case.
Google has refused to remove the film from YouTube, despite pressure from the White House and others to take it down, though the company has blocked the trailer in Egypt, Libya and other Muslim countries.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb,; Alex Dobuzinskis and Mary Slosson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)
Despite government-imposed bans, Facebook and Twitter have tens of millions of users in China. Facebook use in China has reportedly swelled to 63.5 million people, a roughly eightfold increase over the 7.9 million who used the site two years ago. Twitter, meanwhile, has nearly 36 million users in China.
Dental cavities are holes or structural damage in the teeth.? Tooth Decay or Dental Cavities or Dental Caries is an infection, typically bacterial in origin that causes demineralization of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin and cementum) and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. If left untreated, the disease can lead to pain, tooth loss and infection. in the beginning, it may become visible as a small chalky area (smooth surface caries), which may in due course of time ?develop into a large cavitation. Sometimes caries or cavities may be directly visible. However, other methods of detection such as radiography are used for less visible areas of teeth and to judge the extent of destruction.
Causes of Dental Cavities or Dental Caries
Tooth Decay
Four main decisive factors required for caries or cavity formation are as follows:-
A tooth surface (enamel or dentin);
Caries-causing bacteria;
Fermentable carbohydrates (such as sucrose); and
Time
Different individuals will be vulnerable to different degrees depending on the shape of their teeth, oral hygiene habits, and the buffering capacity of their saliva. All caries occurs from acid demineralization that exceeds saliva and fluoride remineralization, and almost all-acid demineralization occurs where food (containing carbohydrate like sugar) is left on teeth. Though most trapped food is left between teeth, over 80% of cavities occur inside pits and fissures on chewing surfaces where brushing, fluoride, and saliva cannot reach to remineralize the tooth
Signs and Symptoms of Dental Cavities or Dental Caries
There may be no symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may include:
Tooth pain or Toothache, particularly after sweet, hot, or cold foods and drinks
Visible pits or holes in the teeth
Pain when eating or drinking
Visible discolored spots on your teeth
Diagnosis and Tests for Dental Cavities or Dental Caries
Most cavities can be discovered in the early stages during routine dental checkups. A dental check up may show that the surface of the tooth is soft.?Dental X-Rays may give you an idea about several cavities before they are visible to the eye.
Treatment ofDental Cavities or Dental Caries
Treatment may involve following:-
Fillings. ?
Amalgam Dental Filling
Composite Dental Filling
The typical treatment for a cavity is to fill the tooth. If a drill is used, the dentist will numb the area. If a laser is used, a numbing shot is not usually required. The decayed material in the cavity is removed and the cavity is filled. Many fillings are made of dental amalgam or composite resin. Amalgam is a silver-gray material made from silver, mercury, copper or other metals. Composite resin offers a better appearance because it is tooth-colored. Newer resins are very durable. Amalgams are used in molars and premolars because the metal is not seen in the back of the mouth. Composite and ceramic materials are used for all teeth.
Crowns. If a cavity is large, the remaining tooth may not be able to support enough filling material to repair it. In this case, the dentist will remove the decay and cover the tooth with a ceramic inlay, onlay or artificial crown. These may be made in the office or in a lab.
Root canals. The part of the tooth you can see remains relatively intact, but there is decay in the pulp inside the tooth. In this case, the tooth will need root canal treatment. A general dentist or an endodontist will be able to remove the tooth?s pulp and replace it with an inert material. In most cases, the tooth will need a crown.
Prevention of Dental Cavities or Dental Caries
Following preventive measures can help you to avoid Tooth Decay:-
Brush your teeth twice a day preferably with fluoride toothpaste.
It is better to clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaner.
Eat balanced meals and also limit sweets and snacks.
Visit your dentist regularly for dental check up.
Use of fluoride supplements that strengthens your teeth
...Ununtrium [wikipedia.org]! Like all of the elements in that range that haven't been sufficiently studied yet. Great job naming it, Japan.
But for those curious, it's a toss-up between "Japonium," "Rikenium," and "Becquerelium". (Some Russians were involved and felt that the French physicist Henri Becquerel was under appreciated.)
Time to get your flu vaccine ? and a surprising new report shows babies and toddlers seem to be getting protected better than the rest of us.
Last year's flu shot won't shield you this year: Two new strains of influenza have begun circling the globe, and the updated vaccine appears to work well against them, government officials said Thursday.
Just because last year was the mildest flu season on record doesn't mean the virus might not bounce back to its usual ferocity this winter.
"People cannot become complacent this year," said Dr. Howard Koh, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who received his own flu shot Thursday.
A yearly vaccination now is recommended for nearly everybody, but new figures released Thursday show that last year 52 percent of children and just 39 percent of adults were immunized.
Best protected: Three-quarters of tots ages 6 months to 23 months were vaccinated. That's a significant jump from the previous year, when 68 percent of those youngsters were immunized.
But even though seniors are at especially high risk of severe illness or death if they catch the flu, just 66 percent of them were immunized, a number that has been slowly dropping for several years.
AP
In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011 photo, George Eberhardt, 107, of Chester, NJ. is given his annual flu shot by nurse Bettie Donnelly in Mendham, N.J. Babies and toddlers were more likely to get the flu vaccine last year than people over 65. Both groups are more vulnerable to flu than other age groups. Government data released Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 also showed a wide range of vaccine protection across the country. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) Close
Older adults got a little lost in the recent public health push to explain that flu vaccine benefits all ages ? and it's time to target them again, said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a flu specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In contrast, child deaths from flu have made headlines in recent years ? the U.S. counted 34 pediatric deaths last year ? raising parents' awareness of the risk, he said.
The only ones who shouldn't get vaccinated: babies younger than 6 months and people with severe allergies to the eggs used to make the vaccine.
Flu specialists can't say how bad this winter's flu season might be. Influenza strains constantly evolve, and some cause more illness than others.
But strains from the H3N2 family tend to be harsher than some other flu types, and a new H3N2 strain is included in this year's vaccine because it is circulating in parts of the world.
Because of that strain, "I am pretty confident that this year will be a more traditional flu season" than last year, CDC's Jernigan told The Associated Press. "People won't have had any real exposure to that."
Only one ingredient in this year's flu vaccine was retained from last year's, protection against the H1N1 strain that caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic and has been the main kind of influenza circulating since. Also new in this year's shot is protection against a different Type B strain.
Other trends the CDC spotted last year:
?Roughly a third of teenagers got a flu vaccine.
?So did 45 percent of high-risk young and middle-aged adults, those who are particularly vulnerable to flu because they also have asthma, diabetes or any of a list of other health conditions.
?About 47 percent of pregnant women were vaccinated. Women have five times the risk of severe illness if they catch the flu when they're pregnant, and they can require hospitalization and suffer preterm labor as a result. Vaccination not only protects them, but recent research shows it also provides some protection to their newborns as well.
Researchers develop blood test that accurately detects early stages of lung, breast cancer in humansPublic release date: 26-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Stefan Bossmann sbossman@k-state.edu 785-532-6817 Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Researchers at Kansas State University have developed a simple blood test that can accurately detect the beginning stages of cancer.
In less than an hour, the test can detect breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer -- the most common type of lung cancer -- before symptoms like coughing and weight loss start. The researchers anticipate testing for the early stages of pancreatic cancer shortly.
The test was developed by Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry, and Deryl Troyer, professor of anatomy and physiology. Both are also researchers affiliated with Kansas State University's Johnson Cancer Research Center and the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Gary Gadbury, professor of statistics at Kansas State University, helped analyze the data from tests with lung and breast cancer patients. The results, data and analysis were recently submitted to the Kansas Bio Authority for accelerated testing.
"We see this as the first step into a new arena of investigation that could eventually lead to improved early detection of human cancers," Troyer said. "Right now the people who could benefit the most are those classified as at-risk for cancer, such as heavy smokers and people who have a family history of cancer. The idea is these at-risk groups could go to their physician's office quarterly or once a year, take an easy-to-do, noninvasive test, and be told early on whether cancer has possibly developed."
The researchers say the test would be repeated a short time later. If cancer is confirmed, diagnostic imaging could begin that would otherwise not be routinely pursued.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 39,920 breast cancer deaths and 160,340 lung cancer deaths are expected in the U.S. in 2012.
With the exception of breast cancer, most types of cancer can be categorized in four stages based on tumor growth and the spread of cancer cells throughout the body. Breast and lung cancer are typically found and diagnosed in stage 2, the stage when people often begin exhibiting symptoms such as pain, fatigue and coughing. Numerous studies show that the earlier cancer is detected, the greater chance a person has against the disease.
"The problem, though, is that nobody knows they're in stage 1," Bossmann said. "There is often not a red flag to warn that something is wrong. Meanwhile, the person is losing critical time."
The test developed by Kansas State University's Bossmann and Troyer works by detecting increased enzyme activity in the body. Iron nanoparticles coated with amino acids and a dye are introduced to small amounts of blood or urine from a patient. The amino acids and dye interact with enzymes in the patient's urine or blood sample. Each type of cancer produces a specific enzyme pattern, or signature, that can be identified by doctors.
"These enzyme patterns can also help distinguish between cancer and an infection or other diseases that commonly occur in the human body," Bossmann said. "For example, a person who smokes a lot of cigars may develop an inflammation in their lungs. That will drive up some of the markers in the test but not all of them. Doctors will be able to see whether there was too much smoke inhalation or if there is something more serious going on. False-positives are something that we really want to avoid."
Once the test is administered, comprehensive results -- which include enzyme patterns -- are produced in roughly 60 minutes.
Bossmann and Troyer have designed a second testing method that is anticipated to produce the same results in about five minutes. The team recently received $305,000 in funding for this project from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems.
In addition to early detection, researchers say the test can be tweaked to monitor cancer. For example, patients being treated with drugs can be observed for drug effectiveness. Similarly, doctors can use the dye in the test to determine if the entirety of a tumor has been successfully removed from a patient after surgery.
Researchers evaluated the test's accuracy on 32 separate participants in various stages of breast or lung cancer. Data was collected from 20 people with breast cancer -- ranging in age from 36 to 81 years old -- and 12 people with lung cancer -- ranging in age from 27 to 63 years old.
Twelve people without cancer were also tested as a control group. This group ranged in age from 26 to 62 years old.
A blood sample from each participant was tested three times. Analysis of the data showed a 95 percent success rate in detecting cancer in participants, including those with breast cancer in stages 0 and 1 and those with lung cancer in stages 1 and 2.
Tests detecting for pancreatic cancer are anticipated to begin in October as part of Bossmann and Troyer's collaboration with Dr. Stephen Williamson at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Blood samples from triple-negative breast cancer patients will be tested this fall in collaboration with Dr. Priyanka Sharma, who is also at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
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Funding for the study -- titled "Functionalized Bimagnetic Core/Shell Fe/FE3O4 Stealth Nanoparticles for Diag & Treatment Cancer" -- was originally provided through a subcontract of a National Institutes of Health phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant to NanoScale Corp., a Manhattan-based company that manufactures, markets and commercializes advanced products and technologies, and by the Johnson Cancer Rsearch Center at Kansas State University. A Small Business Innovation Research grant is awarded to small businesses with a university partner for the purpose of accelerating research to enter the commercial marketplace.
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Researchers develop blood test that accurately detects early stages of lung, breast cancer in humansPublic release date: 26-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Stefan Bossmann sbossman@k-state.edu 785-532-6817 Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Researchers at Kansas State University have developed a simple blood test that can accurately detect the beginning stages of cancer.
In less than an hour, the test can detect breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer -- the most common type of lung cancer -- before symptoms like coughing and weight loss start. The researchers anticipate testing for the early stages of pancreatic cancer shortly.
The test was developed by Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry, and Deryl Troyer, professor of anatomy and physiology. Both are also researchers affiliated with Kansas State University's Johnson Cancer Research Center and the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Gary Gadbury, professor of statistics at Kansas State University, helped analyze the data from tests with lung and breast cancer patients. The results, data and analysis were recently submitted to the Kansas Bio Authority for accelerated testing.
"We see this as the first step into a new arena of investigation that could eventually lead to improved early detection of human cancers," Troyer said. "Right now the people who could benefit the most are those classified as at-risk for cancer, such as heavy smokers and people who have a family history of cancer. The idea is these at-risk groups could go to their physician's office quarterly or once a year, take an easy-to-do, noninvasive test, and be told early on whether cancer has possibly developed."
The researchers say the test would be repeated a short time later. If cancer is confirmed, diagnostic imaging could begin that would otherwise not be routinely pursued.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 39,920 breast cancer deaths and 160,340 lung cancer deaths are expected in the U.S. in 2012.
With the exception of breast cancer, most types of cancer can be categorized in four stages based on tumor growth and the spread of cancer cells throughout the body. Breast and lung cancer are typically found and diagnosed in stage 2, the stage when people often begin exhibiting symptoms such as pain, fatigue and coughing. Numerous studies show that the earlier cancer is detected, the greater chance a person has against the disease.
"The problem, though, is that nobody knows they're in stage 1," Bossmann said. "There is often not a red flag to warn that something is wrong. Meanwhile, the person is losing critical time."
The test developed by Kansas State University's Bossmann and Troyer works by detecting increased enzyme activity in the body. Iron nanoparticles coated with amino acids and a dye are introduced to small amounts of blood or urine from a patient. The amino acids and dye interact with enzymes in the patient's urine or blood sample. Each type of cancer produces a specific enzyme pattern, or signature, that can be identified by doctors.
"These enzyme patterns can also help distinguish between cancer and an infection or other diseases that commonly occur in the human body," Bossmann said. "For example, a person who smokes a lot of cigars may develop an inflammation in their lungs. That will drive up some of the markers in the test but not all of them. Doctors will be able to see whether there was too much smoke inhalation or if there is something more serious going on. False-positives are something that we really want to avoid."
Once the test is administered, comprehensive results -- which include enzyme patterns -- are produced in roughly 60 minutes.
Bossmann and Troyer have designed a second testing method that is anticipated to produce the same results in about five minutes. The team recently received $305,000 in funding for this project from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems.
In addition to early detection, researchers say the test can be tweaked to monitor cancer. For example, patients being treated with drugs can be observed for drug effectiveness. Similarly, doctors can use the dye in the test to determine if the entirety of a tumor has been successfully removed from a patient after surgery.
Researchers evaluated the test's accuracy on 32 separate participants in various stages of breast or lung cancer. Data was collected from 20 people with breast cancer -- ranging in age from 36 to 81 years old -- and 12 people with lung cancer -- ranging in age from 27 to 63 years old.
Twelve people without cancer were also tested as a control group. This group ranged in age from 26 to 62 years old.
A blood sample from each participant was tested three times. Analysis of the data showed a 95 percent success rate in detecting cancer in participants, including those with breast cancer in stages 0 and 1 and those with lung cancer in stages 1 and 2.
Tests detecting for pancreatic cancer are anticipated to begin in October as part of Bossmann and Troyer's collaboration with Dr. Stephen Williamson at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Blood samples from triple-negative breast cancer patients will be tested this fall in collaboration with Dr. Priyanka Sharma, who is also at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
###
Funding for the study -- titled "Functionalized Bimagnetic Core/Shell Fe/FE3O4 Stealth Nanoparticles for Diag & Treatment Cancer" -- was originally provided through a subcontract of a National Institutes of Health phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant to NanoScale Corp., a Manhattan-based company that manufactures, markets and commercializes advanced products and technologies, and by the Johnson Cancer Rsearch Center at Kansas State University. A Small Business Innovation Research grant is awarded to small businesses with a university partner for the purpose of accelerating research to enter the commercial marketplace.
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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.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures were flat on Wednesday as investors took a break from the previous day's sharp decline, which was the S&P's worst day since June.
Market participants have been seeking new catalysts to keep pushing shares higher since the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank announced stimulus measures earlier this month. The S&P is up almost 6 percent so far this quarter, with much of those gains coming on expectations for such announcements from the central banks.
Further gains may be hard to come by amid concerns over the impact that slowing global growth could have on companies. Tuesday's sell-off came as Caterpillar Inc became the latest high-profile company to cut its outlook, joining FedEx Corp.
In another discouraging sign for corporate America, Jabil Circuit late Tuesday reported fourth-quarter earnings that missed expectations and forecast weak first-quarter results.
S&P 500 futures fell 1.2 point but remained above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 5 points and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 4.25 points.
The S&P 500 is up 2.5 percent so far in September, historically a difficult month for the market, and recently hit the highest level in nearly five years.
The last session of the third quarter is Friday, and the quarter's strongest performers could see some additional upside on "window dressing," when money managers add the latest outperforming stocks to their portfolios before the end of the quarter. MetroPCS and Sprint Nextel are the top two gainers quarter-to-date.
Yahoo Inc's new chief executive Marissa Mayer laid out broad goals for the Internet giant in her first companywide address Tuesday. The company also named a new chief financial officer.
Investors are also looking ahead to August new home sales, due out at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) Analysts expect 380,000 units sold in the month, up modestly from 372,000 in August.
While the housing market has shown signs of strengthening, and homebuilders have reported strong results recently, the July Case-Shiller report on home prices, released on Tuesday, came in weaker than expected.
U.S. stocks tumbled on Tuesday, pressured by Caterpillar's outlook and weakness in Apple Inc shares. It was the S&P 500's biggest percentage daily loss since June 25 and the biggest for the Nasdaq since July 20.
During Monday's blind auditions, one contestant's performance of Green's hit prompted the judge to take the stage to show him how it's done. By Natasha Chandel
What?s up with Estonia? The tiny Baltic nation affords its citizens the greatest measure of digital freedom as measured by Freedom House, a Washington ?advocacy group.
Freedom House?s rankings are based on things like access to the Internet and online free expression laws. Estonia has a national digital identification system, allows its citizens to vote online and has announced plans to teach computer coding to public school students as early as first grade, according to the technology blog?UbuntuLife.
Estonia is a standout at a time when, according to Freedom House, online censorship has grown, from widespread blocking and filtering in some countries to laws that regulate what can be said online to physical attacks on bloggers and other online critics.
The group?s report, which measured the restrictions in 47 countries from January 2011 to May 2012, found that ?restrictions on Internet freedom in many countries have continued to grow, though the methods of control are slowly evolving and becoming less visible.?
The report comes on the heels of a global debate about free expression after a crude video that ridicules Islam was posted on YouTube. It was blamed for setting off violence in several countries worldwide. It led a handful of countries to block YouTube altogether.
In 19 of the 47 countries mentioned in the report, Freedom House said, citizens who posted content online, whether in a blog or on social media, were ?tortured, disappeared, beaten or brutally assaulted.? The report was packed with examples. In Bahrain, for instance, the moderator of an online forum died in police custody in April 2011; in Jordan, a blogger was stabbed in the stomach; and in Sri Lanka and Uzbeskistan, those who criticized the government online have ?disappeared under mysterious circumstances.?
Physical attacks were not limited to critics of the government. Freedom House cited the example of Mexico, where bloggers who had written about organized crime were murdered, with notes that referred explicitly to the victims? postings online.
Home prices in top 20 markets rose 1.2 percent in the past year. A growing minority of Americans now believe their homes will be worth more a year from now.
By Diana Olick,?CNBC Real Estate Reporter / September 25, 2012
This August file photo shows an exterior view of a home sold in Palo Alto, Calif. Not only are home prices rising, but a growing minority of Americans now believe that the value of their homes will increase in the next 12 months.
Paul Sakuma/AP/File
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Economists are saying it, and now even some Americans are saying it.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
After falling to depths not seen since the Great Depression, the U.S. housing market may finally be rising from the ashes.?
It may not seem like a lot, but 27 percent of Americans believe the value of their homes will increase in the next year, according the CNBC All America Economic Survey.
?That is the highest percentage since 2007 and the third straight quarter that such optimism has gained. (Read More:?CNBC Poll: Economy's Worse, but Obama Favored to Fix It.)
??Overall the housing industry has come back,? said Standard and Poors? David Blitzer, commenting on Tuesday?s release of the latest S&P/Case-Shiller home price indices. ?We might finally get a little boost to the economy from the housing sector.?
?Home prices in the nation?s top twenty markets rose 1.2 percent in July from a year ago, according to S&P/Case-Shiller. (Read More:?US Home Prices Rose for Sixth Month in a Row: Case-Shiller.)
All of those markets saw month-to-month price gains, while just four saw annual declines.? Atlanta continues to see the largest drop, down just under 10 percent year-over-year, but even its declines are easing.
?In Phoenix, where distressed properties have made up the bulk of home sales, prices are up 16.6 percent from a year ago, due to big supply shortages of low-end homes.
?Home prices are still down 30 percent from their peak in 2006, but just the prospect of a real bottom has some buyers finally getting off the fence. In addition, rising prices helped 1.3 million home owners to rise out of a negative equity position on their mortgages in the first half of this year, according to CoreLogic.
Nearly 11 million, or 22 percent of all borrowers, are still stuck in place, owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, and an additional 2.3 million have less than 5 percent equity in their homes, making a move up unlikely. (Read More:More Homes Are Above Water, But Some Sellers Still Suffer.)
?The latest numbers, from existing home sales to earnings from the big publichome builders, are fueling much-needed confidence in housing, but it would be na?ve to declare that this industry is completely out of the woods.
?Positives, like record-low mortgage rates and much-improved affordability are offset by still high negative equity, tight credit conditions and continued uncertainty about the overall state of the economy.
Just 10 percent of those polled in the?CNBC survey?say the economy is good or excellent, with 91 percent saying it is only fair or poor. Fifty-three percent say it is poor, with 25 percent saying it will get worse. These sentiments are little changed from the survey results in?June.
Housing still faces some huge unknowns, including tough regulation on mortgage lending, the looming ?fiscal cliff,? and more than 5 million loans that are either delinquent or in the foreclosure process.
Supplies of distressed homes are low, but much of that is due to delays in the foreclosure process which are just now beginning to lift. New mortgage delinquencies are falling slightly, but they are still far higher than historical norms. (Read More:?'Underwater Mortgage' Refis Get Fresh Push in Congress.)
There is also a possible new headwind that few have mentioned. That is the potential loss of the Bush 2007 Mortgage Relief Act benefit.
This act negates any tax liabilities against borrowers who do so-called ?short sales.? This is when the bank allows the home to be sold for less than the value of the mortgage. The debt that is forgiven (that is the amount of the mortgage not covered by the sale price) would usually be taxed, but this act put a temporary stop to that in order to give borrowers relief and stimulate the short sale market.
This act expires at the end of this year, and Congress has yet to extend it.
?Private investors, Realtors and banks have begun to drive short sales hard, as foreclosures take too long and are too politically sensitive,? said housing analyst Mark Hanson. ?The loss of the Bush 2007 Mortgage Relief Act benefit, which has been driving incremental short sale volume all summer ? and is responsible for a large part of the year-over-year increase in sales volume ? will drive sales volume into a "triple dip" in the winter/spring...Prices will get hit as well.?
It is of course possible that Congress will extend the act at the last minute, but this is just one example of many ?ifs? still present in the market.?
Mortgage rates may be low now, but some say they could move up next year, influenced by factors outside the?Federal Reserve?s?recent attempt to lower them (QE3). (Read More:?How Does the Fed Help My House My Mortgage?)
Home prices appear to be improving, but a new flow of distressed properties could lessen those gains this fall. And again, so much still depends on jobs. S&P?s David Blitzer may believe housing is back, but his colleague Robert Shiller said last week that he wasn?t convinced.? Suffice it to say, the housing market has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go.
Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was hit with an injury just a week before he was scheduled to fight Pat Healy. He had to withdraw from the fight. Without Healy-Melendez, Showtime decided not to air the card. Without Showtime, Strikeforce canceled the event.
"When Showtime informed us that it would not be airing the event, we made the difficult decision to cancel Saturday's card in Sacramento," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said via press release. "Without a television partner, we simply could not move forward with this event. We wish Gilbert a speedy recovery and will work diligently and quickly to reschedule the fighters affected by this news on upcoming cards."
This is the second major injury to hit Strikeforce recently. UFC heavyweight Frank Mir pulled out of his Nov. 3 bout with Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champ Daniel Cormier with an injury.
Healy told Bloody Elbow Radio that he was told he would not be fighting again until Melendez is healthy, and that he wasn't given the option to fight someone else.
"I'm like in a daze, still. I have to think about, if Gil's going to be out six months and I have to wait the whole time, I have to start making some plans to make money right now so I'm not in a situation where I have to make money right before training for a fight," Healy said.
Outside of Melendez Healy, Saturday's card featured:
? Guto Inocente vs. Gian Villante ? Caros Fodor vs. Josh Thomson ? Adriano Martins vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg ? Quinn Mulhern vs. Jorge Santiago ? Jorge Gurgel vs. Mizuto Hirota ? Amanda Nunes vs. Cat Zingano ? Mike Kyle vs. Dion Staring ? Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Yuri Villefort ? Michael Bravo vs. Estevan Payan
Those fighters didn't create enough firepower for Showtime. Perhaps a re-airing of the "Weeds" season finale will be enough for the network instead of a live sporting event.
This creates a problem for the Strikeforce fighters on the card. One of the complaints heard most often from Strikeforce fighters is that they don't fight enough. In 2012, Strikeforce has held just five fight events. With such infrequency, fighters have few chances to fight and make money from their fight purse and sponsors.
Outside the main event, Strikeforce has nine fights place. Though there is room on the Nov. 3 card, it won't be enough to accommodate every fighter. Plus, the fighters thought they were getting paid on Sept. 29, and best case scenario has them getting paid a month from now. Fighting is never an easy way to make a living, but cancelling cards in the last minute makes the job much harder.
On Sunday afternoons during the NFL season, I?m sitting in my house with three TVs showing games in one room, plus another game showing on my iPad, with my laptop at the ready to check scores and stats. I have the Sunday Ticket package and I watch the Red Zone channel and the Game Mix channel, and I?m the fastest draw in the West when I need to change the channel. My wife brings me snacks so I don?t have to get up for even a minute. If anyone should be able to keep up with every single thing that happens on an NFL Sunday, it?s me.
And as this Sunday?s nine early games came to the late fourth quarter, even I couldn?t keep up with it all. What an amazing Sunday afternoon.
Don?t you wish we could see Sunday?s highlights as edited by Steve Sabol? Sabol, the NFL Films president who died of brain cancer on Tuesday, would have told an amazing story with the material the NFL gave him on Sunday. The nine early games featured three overtimes, three other games decided by a touchdown or less, a shocking upset by the Vikings, a tremendous defensive effort by the Bears and a Bills-Browns game that was, well . . . let?s just say there were eight really good games.
My choice for the best game of the day was that insane finish in Tennessee, where the Lions came back from 14 points down with 18 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, only to end up losing 44-41. But the Chiefs-Saints battle was also lots of fun, and every time I looked at the Bengals? 38-31 win over the Redskins I saw one of the league?s bright young stars (either Cincinnati?s A.J. Green or Washington?s Robert Griffin III) making a big play. There was no shortage of greatness on display on Sunday.
These are the days when you sit there on your couch and just say, This is why I love football. What a great day.
Here are my other thoughts from Week Three in the NFL:
The replacement officials need to pick up the pace. Games are simply taking far too long. Heading into this week the average length of games was about five minutes longer this season than last season, and maybe that doesn?t sound like much. But those delays while the officials are sorting things out are making some games really drag. The Steelers-Raiders game, in particular, felt like it was taking forever. If Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski had missed his game-winning field goal and the game had gone into overtime, it?s entirely possible that it still would have been going on into the start of Sunday Night Football.
The NFL needs to fine Bill Belichick heavily. I don?t care how bad the officials are ? and they were bad during Sunday night?s Patriots-Ravens game ? you simply cannot put your hands on an official. Belichick put his hands on an official. A fine of $100,000 might be enough to send the message that that simply cannot happen.
Still, the Belichick story shouldn?t overshadow the larger issue. The quality of the officiating in the NFL right now simply isn?t acceptable. The NFL has to fix it.
How did Matt Schaub get cleared so quickly? NFL teams are supposed to have an excess of caution about players suffering concussions, taking the time to have the medical staff check anyone who takes a hard hit to the head, and only clearing players to return to the field if everything is OK. So something seemed suspicious about Texans quarterback Matt Schaub missing only one play after taking a brutal and illegal helmet-to-helmet hit, a hit that had him crumpling to the ground and grabbing his head. I hope I?m wrong to be skeptical, but it sure didn?t seem like Schaub was out long enough to get the kind of thorough examination that a hit like that would warrant.
Jason Hanson should be a Hall of Famer some day. Hanson, the Lions? 21-year veteran kicker, is the oldest player in the NFL at age 42, and has played 314 games with the Lions, the most games any player has played with one team in NFL history. But Hanson doesn?t just have longevity on his side, he has one of the most impressive kicking legs the game has ever seen. On Sunday against the Titans he went 4-for-4 on field goals, making kicks from 47, 53, 33 and 26 yards. That 53-yard field goal was the 51st field goal of his career from 50 yards or farther, the most any kicker has made in NFL history. Oh, and when Lions punter Ben Graham went down, Hanson stepped in and punted flawlessly, averaging 39.3 hards a punt and landing one of them inside the 20-yard line. Hanson probably won?t make it to the Hall of Fame because kickers are remembered for big field goals in big games, and the Lions haven?t been in many big games in Hanson?s career. But the Hall of Fame is supposed to be about individual greatness, and there?s been no greater kicker in NFL history than Jason Hanson.
Jamaal Charles is in very good company. Charles, the Chiefs? starting running back, had 233 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards in Sunday?s win over the Saints, joining Jim Brown as the only players in NFL history with at least 225 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in the same game. Charles and Brown are also the only NFL players with more than 230 rushing yards in two different games. And if Charles keeps running at his career 6.0 yards-per-carry average and gets 196 more rushing attempts, he?ll break Brown?s record for the highest yards-per-carry average of any running back in NFL history with at least 750 carries. For half a century, Brown has been the gold standard for NFL running backs. It?s amazing that Charles is putting himself in Brown?s company.
Greg Schiano is right in the kneeldown controversy. Schiano, the Buccaneers coach who angered Giants coach Tom Coughlin last week by instructing his players to try to force a fumble while the Giants were kneeling down to run out the clock, did it again on Sunday against the Cowboys. Coughlin might not like it, but I do. Schiano coaches football the right way: Play hard until the game is over.
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Public release date: 26-Sep-2012
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Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was hit with an injury just a week before he was scheduled to fight Pat Healy. He had to withdraw from the fight. Without Healy-Melendez, Showtime decided not to air the card. Without Showtime, Strikeforce canceled the event.