Knife-wielding robots to debone chickens at superhuman speed

15 hrs.

Devin Coldewey

Robots are more than capable of painting cars, firing rivets and doing other mechanical tasks, but it seems that cutting up a chicken properly presents quite a challenge. The Georgia Tech Research Institute hopes to change all that with a chicken-deboning robot that slices meat from the bone faster and more efficiently than any human can.

The problem is that every chicken is different, and while experts can tell at a glance where to cut, when and which way to turn the blade, and how much force?to exert, robots aren't quite as sensitive. Gary McMurray is the head of GTRI's Food Processing Technology Division, and presides over the Intelligent Cutting and Deboning System project. It's essentially a robotic hand and knife that can see in 3-D and sense when and how to cut up each individual chicken.

One robot arm holds the bird while a computer vision system contemplates its contours. After determining the depths and locations of joints, bones, and so on, it goes to work. The knife itself only makes simple cutting movements, but the arm holding the chicken can move freely, and they work together to debone with what McMurray hopes will be unprecedented precision and speed, as he explains in GTRI's press release:

Our statistics research shows that our external measurements correlate very well to the internal structure of the birds, and therefore will transition to ideal cutting paths.?In our prototype device, everything is registered to calibrated reference frames, allowing us to handle all cut geometries and to precisely align the bird and the cutting robot.

It's no niche business, either: The poultry industry comprises some $20 billion of Georgia's agriculture business, and tiny variations in efficiency are worth millions to processing plants. And robots could do it more safely as well as more quickly; with bone-sensing algorithms and millimeter precision, bone chips and other mistakes could be a thing of the past.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

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Fast-growing construction firm Willmott Dixon opens new office ...

Construction firm Willmott Dixon has relocated its Bristol office to Pill on the city?s outskirts having outgrown its Queen Square premises.

The? 4,000 sq ft base on the Eden Office Park will house the firm?s 50-plus employees ? a major increase on the four staff Willmott Dixon had when it opened its first Bristol office in 2004.

Despite the recession and the knock-on effect on the construction industry, Willmott Dixon has continued to win new business in the South West, which has fueled its continued recruitment programme.

Willmott Dixon South West and Wales managing director Neal Stephens said: ?Our move not only reflects the success we?ve had in the past decade but shows our continued determination to grow and adjust to difficult market conditions.

?Our new offices are perfectly situated near junction 19 of the M5 allowing easy access to our projects in the South West.

?With a growing team, we have opted for a much larger office space which will accommodate our expansion in the future.?

Turnover for the South West and Wales region rose from ?100m in 2010 to ?110m last year. The company has a strong presence ?in both the public and private sectors.

Pictured: John Boughton and Neal Stephens outside Willmott Dixon's new offices

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London: Sarah Lucas ?Situation Make Love? at Sadie Coles HQ through December 2012

Sarah Lucas,?Situation Make Love (2012), installation view.?All images copyright the artist, courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London.

As the art world begins to reassess the YBA (Young British Artists) legacy with Damien Hirst?s current retrospective at Tate Modern and the Hayward Gallery?s look at Tracey Emin last year, Sarah Lucas proves that the movement?s original experimental fervor is still alive and well. Lucas will curate four shows over the course of 2012 for Sadie Coles HQ?s new space, Situation, on New Burlington Place in London. The artist brings together her old and new works in combination with the art of other intimate compatriots, including that of her partner, Julian Simmons. The gallery has already hosted two Situation shows this year, ?Miss Jumbo Savaloy? and ?Make Love,? which highlight Lucas?s command of everyday materials, like concrete, pantyhose, coat hangers and light bulbs. Lucas will direct related programming to coincide with the exhibitions throughout the year. Sadie Coles will publish a catalogue documenting Lucas? work from 2005 to the present, entitled After 2005, Before 2012, picking up where her current catalogue raisonn? leaves off.

Sarah Lucas, Make Love (2012)

Sarah Lucas graduated from Goldsmiths College and participated in 1988?s ?Freeze? exhibition and Charles Saatchi?s ?Sensation? in 1997. Originally known for her cheeky reproductions of sex scandals and racy photographs from tabloid newspapers and a preoccupation with the perverse urbanity of London, the artist shies away from the spotlight. Lucas shuns her contemporaries? focus on the market in favor of concentration in the studio, stating, ?I really?like?the idea that art is not just its value; in the same way that everything else has a value. You might make a concrete sculpture, but it might be better than that brass one even if the brass is worth more. That, that?s not where the value is.? Though Lucas and Tracey Emin sold their art and other sexually charged trinkets, such as wire penises and t-shirts emblazoned with phrases like ?I?m so fucky,? in their own ?The Shop? in East London almost 20 years ago, Lucas continues to maintain a similar rough and ready, artist-driven vibe for her Sadie Coles? exhibitions.

Sarah Lucas, Tit Teddy (2012)

Lucas?s artistic practice often involves travel to specific locales that engage her creatively. Situation provides the space to bring these works home and pair them with the artist?s older pieces. Responding to particular places and times, Lucas continues to work as ?when I was little, just making things, because I always did, to keep myself company.? Attracted to the idea of disturbing sensuality, Lucas?s early work relies on rude jokes and suggestive pairings like her famous self-portrait in which she places fried eggs upon her chest. Her recent sculptures and installations currently on view in ?Make Love? visualize themes of surrealist eroticism and feminist politics with tuberous forms constructed from stuffed nylon stockings and contorted into plays on animal forms (See Tit Teddy and Pussy) and other sausage-like amalgams of sexual appendages mounted upon varied pedestals, including concrete blocks, chairs, and ironing boards. Conceptually and formally indebted to French-American artist Louise Bourgeois, Lucas pushes her work into the realm of today?s crass, physical contemporaneity. While driven by feminist ideals, Lucas continues to make art that poses questions, rather than preaches. Despite her wariness of fame, Lucas will gain more exposure this July, when her solo survey exhibition, ?Ordinary Things,? opens at the Henry Moore Institute.

Sarah Lucas, Pussy (2012)

Sarah Lucas, Pussy, detail (2012)

Sarah Lucas, Nud 27 (2012)

Sarah Lucas, Make Love (2012)

Sarah Lucas, ?Situation Make Love? (2012), installation view

Sarah Lucas, Magic Mary (2012)

Installation view

Installation view

Sarah Lucas, Hard Nud (2012)

Sarah Lucas, Hard Nud (2012)

Sarah Lucas, Enjoy God (2012)

?P. Lathrop

Related Links:

Exhibition Site [Sadie Coles]
Sarah Lucas [Art News]

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 27th, 2012 at 12:31 am and is filed under Art News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Millions in global aid for Iraq sits unspent

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, a student passes by an abandoned school foundation, unfinished since 2006, in central Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used in some of the poorest nations around the globe. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, a student passes by an abandoned school foundation, unfinished since 2006, in central Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used in some of the poorest nations around the globe. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, students rush to class at Alhambra elementary school, made from mud, in Khalis 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq. Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used in some of the poorest nations around the globe. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

In this photo taken on Sunday, May 13, 2012, a teacher works with students outside ramshackle classrooms at al-Ameen elementary school in Baqouba, capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used in some of the poorest nations around the globe. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, students study at a crowded classroom at Alhambra elementary school, made from mud, in Khalis 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq. Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used in some of the poorest nations around the globe. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

In this photo taken on Sunday, May 13, 2012, teachers seen through a mirror as a dirty first aid box hangs on a wall in the teachers' room at al-Ameen ramshackle elementary school in Baqouba, capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used in some of the poorest nations around the globe. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

BAQOUBA, Iraq (AP) ? Outside the crumbling elementary school, goats feed on trash strewn across the front yard. Inside, the ceiling is rotting, toilets don't work and students scrunch hip-to-hip behind narrow desks.

Millions of dollars in international aid to build and repair Iraq's dilapidated schools have for years gone unspent. Now, Iraq's government risks losing the funding as the World Bank weighs whether some of it would be better used elsewhere.

The dilemma is one that echoes across the international aid community ? whether to continue financing a government with vast oil resources and a $100 billion annual budget or divert the assistance to needier nations. It also reflects growing frustration over the bureaucratic hurdles and contracting problems that have kept the money from being used.

The spending delays have left buildings like the scruffy al-Min elementary school in the former insurgent stronghold of Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, in limbo. It's one of thousands of schools across Iraq that desperately need money for repair.

"The building looks like a prison, not a school," said headmaster Abdul-Karim Mohammed Sabti. "This is not an appropriate atmosphere for learning."

The education aid is a slice of $1.3 billion in grants and loans the World Bank and its donor nations have given Iraq since 2004 to fund efforts ranging from labor and welfare programs to providing emergency health services and protecting the environment. Initially, the money was intended to help rebuild the country after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. But the bank maintained the assistance as it became clear the country desperately needed help as it faced years of violence.

More than one-third of the overall assistance ? about $469 million ? has yet to be spent and the World Bank must decide soon whether to extend a deadline for several of the programs to close by the end of June, or face losing grants to rebuild schools.

"When we talk with the government, when we talk to the primary stakeholders in the country, we try to explain to them that it is a pity that this money is just sitting where it is and it is not being utilized," said Marie-Helene Bricknell, the World Bank's special representative for Iraq.

Some of the money may have to be given back and distributed to the world's poorest counties if Iraq continues to sit on it, she said.

"It may difficult for us to argue (to keep) it if Africa needs the money, or if there is another food crisis in the world," Bricknell said. "Given the austerity around the world, it may be very difficult."

But World Bank officials in Baghdad also acknowledged the Iraqi government faced tremendous hurdles in trying to carry out the projects. There was no parliament when the first tranche of funding was provided, and the government was barely functional in the years the nation teetered on the brink in civil war.

The projects have picked up since Iraq's new government was seated in late 2010, but bureaucracy and contracting problems have stunted progress.

The World Bank is the latest foreign donor to be frustrated by Iraq's lax use of reconstruction aid. Billions of U.S. taxpayer funds have been wasted on projects to rebuild Iraq since the 2003 invasion. Auditors and prosecutors say much of the money has been siphoned away in corrupt contracts.

U.S. funding for Iraq is also dropping dramatically following the departure of American troops in December. Congress is considering cutting aid to Iraq by 77 percent and slashing what was initially touted as a $1 billion program for Iraqi police that was to be the centerpiece if the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's efforts to continue training security forces.

In 2005, the World Bank began giving Iraq an additional $508 million in special loans that have little to no interest to try to speed up the development projects. The loans are normally given to the world's poorest countries, nearly half of which are in Africa.

Iraq is not considered a low-income country by the World Bank and normally would not be eligible for the funds. But an exception was made as Iraq struggled to recover from upheaval. A quarter of Iraq's population of 31 million lives in poverty, and 15 percent are unemployed, according to U.S. data compiled by the Central Intelligence Agency between 2008 and 2010.

Iraqi schools provide a stark example of the problem. Less than half of the $204 million earmarked for education programs has been spent.

Baghdad has asked for more time to spend about $16 million that's left from grants issued in October 2004 to rebuild schools. The Bank has signaled it may extend the June 30 deadline for the grant by another year.

With the roughly $44 million that's been spent so far, Iraq's education ministry has built 37 new schools nationwide and upgraded 133 old ones. Thirteen more schools are under construction and are expected to be completed by June 2013. Another 30 schools were built in Iraq's southern marshlands between 2006 and 2009 under a different World Bank program that cost $5.2 million.

All the 37 new schools were finished over the last 18 months, said senior Education Ministry official Saad Ibrahim Abdul Rahim, who is the agency's head liaison to the World Bank. He blamed the yearslong delay on bureaucratic snarls, a slow cash-flow to contractors and a lack of available land in populated areas upon which to build.

But last year, the ministry won approval from the prime minister's cabinet to build schools on land that belonged to other government agencies, and progress was made.

More than 6 million students attend Iraq's 15,000 public schools. Rahim said at least 5,000 more schools are needed to ease severe overcrowding.

Another $100 million was given to Iraq as an emergency education loan to ease crowding and update the curriculum in Iraq's schools. The project began in November 2005. Since then, the government has spent only $11 million and has three times asked for the loan to be extended in order to keep the money. It currently expires in June 2013.

There was initial optimism when the World Bank reconstruction program in Iraq began in 2004, but that vanished as the country spiraled into a cycle of violence with sectarian fighting and an insurgency that killed tens of thousands of people.

"After the collapse of the Saddam regime, there was a strong feeling that Iraq was going to grow and build a lot of projects," Rahim said. "But a year later there was a lot of sectarian conflict, and a lot of problems that caused a huge delay to all of the projects, in all of the ministries, for the reconstruction of Iraq."

Rahim was confident the deadlines would be met as violence ebbs and Iraq edges toward stability.

The Education Ministry spent $6.9 million of the loan funding last year ? more than six times of what it spent in 2010. By comparison, the ministry spent $19,800 from the loan fund in 2008.

"We are on track now and the project is going ahead, and there are no huge challenges or any big obstacles to slow or detail it," Rahim said.

Overall, Iraq had spent nearly $839 million of the $1.3 billion in World Bank grants and loans as of March 31, the latest data available. That money has helped create cell phone networks, improve drinking water for 600,000 people, rebuild and restock hospital emergency rooms, and train dozens of doctors and nurses across Iraq, according to the World Bank.

It has also paid for several studies to strengthen Iraq's government, reduce poverty and provide forecasts for the oil and gas industry through 2030 ? and any spinoff businesses that can create jobs and generate money.

And it has put 80 million textbooks in the hands of students whose numbers are growing every day. Half of Iraq's population is under 18, according to the United Nations, forcing schools to teach classes in morning and afternoon shifts to accommodate all the students.

In Iraq's northeast Diyala province alone, 381,000 students are enrolled in schools, said local education director Jaafar Moween al-Zarkushy.

Of 870 schools in Diyala, 65 were destroyed in sectarian fighting since 2003, al-Zarkushy said. Another 110 schools are about to collapse, and 17 more have been deemed inadequate because they are made out of mud.

"All students need a place to go to be taught," al-Zarkushy said forlornly. "The signs are not encouraging."

___

Associated Press Writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report. Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larajakesAP

Associated Press

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Golf-"Luke fever" takes over at carnival-like Wentworth

By Tom Pilcher

VIRGINIA WATER, England | Sat May 26, 2012 8:00pm BST

VIRGINIA WATER, England May 26 (Reuters) - 'Luke, Luke' cried the fans after Luke Donald took a two-shot lead in the PGA Championship third round with a masterful display under a scorching sun and swirling winds on Saturday.

The stretched-out chanting of his name sounds like booing but is anything but.

"It's nice to have your own chant," said Donald (69) after carding one of only three sub-70 rounds on a typically testing Wentworth day to wind up with an 11-under tally of 205.

"I've never seen as many people in the crowd as this, even at a British Open," he told reporters after a Saturday record total of 25,176 watched the action at the intimidating West Course just outside London.

Donald will grab the world number one ranking back from Rory McIlroy if he retains the PGA title on Sunday that propelled him to top spot for a long spell last year.

The Englishman spent 40 uninterrupted weeks at number one from late May 2011 and also went on to become the first player to win the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 34-year-old need only finish eighth on his own to usurp McIlroy and although he has his critics because of an unspectacular playing style, his method bore fruit on an extremely tricky day for scoring.

"This is a tough place and it demands a huge amount of patience," said Donald. "It's not necessarily geared towards the bombing long-hitter."

'MR PLOD'

Donald has been nicknamed 'Mr Plod' for the way he plots his way round courses but there was nothing boring about his majestic six-iron to 15 feet at the par-five fourth that left fans open-jawed with admiration.

"That's a tough putt but I'm sure he'll make birdie," Donald's wife Diane said to a friend as she craned her neck for a glimpse of the golf.

Her husband duly obliged and moments later he was top of the leaderboard after overnight pacesetter James Morrison scored an ugly eight at the same hole.

Donald's only blip came after an unlucky bounce off a spectator at 15 where his ball deflected off a fan's leg into a ditch, causing his solitary bogey of the day.

He was back to his best on the two closing par-five holes, brilliantly saving par on the monstrous 17th before steering in a birdie putt at the last.

Expect to hear the 'Luke, Luke' cries again on Sunday. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)

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Obama, Dems redoubling money efforts to keep edge

ATHERTON, Calif. (AP) ? His cash advantage threatened, President Barack Obama and his party are redoubling their fundraising efforts after robust hauls by Republican rival Mitt Romney and a slew of GOP-leaning super PACs that are raking in cash from the party faithful highly motivated to topple the Democrat.

Obama still has a significant edge, but it's shrinking rapidly.

That explains why the president, fresh off of back-to-back international summits, plunged back into his re-election race Wednesday with a series of fundraising events in Denver and California's Silicon Valley. The president was looking to stockpile cash to pay for his coast-to-coast organization, advertising to spread his message and get-out-the-vote operations in key states.

"We're going to have to contend with even more negative ads, even more cynicism and nastiness and just plain foolishness," Obama said in Denver. "But the outcome of the election is ultimately going to depend upon all of you." A woman shouted, "We'll just have to work harder."

It's the start of an extensive money push by Obama in the coming weeks that will feature a series of high-end fundraisers, including New York events with former President Bill Clinton and actress Sarah Jessica Parker and a Los Angeles trip to raise money among gay and lesbian supporters. Smaller-dollar pushes also are under way.

Obama, a record-shattering fundraiser four years ago, has a built-in fundraising advantage as the incumbent and still has a wide money lead over Romney, the challenger who only recently combined fundraising efforts with the Republican National Committee after a bruising ? and expensive ? primary.

But well-funded Republican outside groups, which are able to raise unlimited sums from donors, are narrowing that gap quickly and using their multimillions to run a slew of TV ads hammering Obama in key states. Obama aides acknowledge the possibility that he could be outraised by the influx of Republican money.

The numbers tell the story.

Through April, Obama and Democratic groups supporting his re-election bid have raised nearly $450 million during the election cycle and have more than $150 million in the bank. Romney and Republicans backing him have collected more than $400 million during the same stretch and have about $80 million at their disposal.

Gone is the 10-to-1 cash advantage that Obama held at the end of March.

To be sure, Romney was bound to erode that money gap as he pivoted to the general election. He still, however, lags on another measure of campaign strength: Obama has had months to prepare an extensive ground game to identify, register and turn out voters.

On the money front, Romney has benefited from a strong desire among GOP activists to defeat Obama, multiple GOP outside groups willing to spending tens of millions of dollars and a well-oiled fundraising machine within his own campaign. Showing that prowess, the former Massachusetts governor raised $15 million this week during three days of fundraising in New York.

"What you see in a very short period of time is a very well-run operation that is putting Gov. Romney in a position where he's going to, maybe not outspend, but to compete with the collective Democratic fundraising," said Sara Taylor Fagen, a former political director for President George W. Bush.

Romney has been the all-but-certain GOP nominee for more than a month now, and while he's focused primarily on fundraising, super PACs backing him have been going toe to toe with Obama's campaign in TV advertising. That means that Romney hasn't had to spend heavily from his own campaign account. Chief among those groups has been Crossroads GPS and its affiliated super PAC, Crossroads USA, which quickly matched Obama's ad buy this month after the president's team laid out plans for a $25 million advertising campaign.

Democrats haven't had as much success with super PACs.

A pro-Obama group, Priorities USA Action, has badly lagged behind Crossroads, while Romney has gotten extra help from another super PAC, Restore Our Future. Mary Beth Cahill, a former campaign manager for Sen. John Kerry, recently came aboard as an adviser to help Priorities.

The influx of campaign cash in the first presidential campaign since the 2010 Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court, which helped create super PACs, has taken some Democrats by surprise.

"I don't think anyone realized going into this cycle exactly how much money was going to be involved," said former Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas, a past chairman of the fundraising arm for House Democrats. "This is a brave new world of campaign finance."

Obama was cheered by 550 supporters in Denver, where tickets at a fundraiser started at $250 and topped out at $40,000 per couple for a photo with the president. Obama accused Romney of seeking to return to economic policies that preceded the recession. "It's the same old stuff they've been peddling for years," the president said.

Afterward in California, Obama spoke at a fundraising dinner in Atherton that included a performance by David Crosby and Graham Nash. About 60 people paid $35,800 per person to attend. The president said the nation had made significant strides during the past 3 1/2 years but said "we may not even finish it in 5 years but I certainly need 5 more years to get us locked in on where we need to go."

Obama capped the night at a reception with 1,100 people in Redwood City, with a performance by Ben Harper. Tickets started at $250, with some couples paying $12,500 for a photo with the president. On Thursday, Obama was speaking at a private fundraising breakfast in San Jose.

To keep his edge, Obama isn't just focusing on big money.

Many of the planned high-dollar fundraisers include a raffle designed to raise millions more and get more people involved.

In some cases, the grass-roots component raises more than the swanky fundraiser: Of the $15 million Obama raised at a celebrity-studded dinner two weeks ago at actor George Clooney's Los Angeles home, $9 million came from small-dollar donors hoping to win a chance to attend.

Clinton, arguably the most prominent Democratic fundraiser not in the White House, is joining Obama for two events in New York on June 4. Obama's campaign also is raffling off a trip to New York ? including airfare and hotel for what's being called "Barack on Broadway" ? for two winners and their guests to attend. The two presidents will attend a dinner later that evening featuring a performance by Jon Bon Jovi.

Two days later, Obama jets to Los Angeles for a high-dollar reception with gay and lesbian supporters, featuring a performance by Pink, and a $25,000-per person dinner at the Beverly Hills home of "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy and his fianc? David Miller. Events also are planned next month in Baltimore, Boston and back in New York, where the president will raise money at the home of Parker, of "Sex and the City" fame. A travel-package raffle for small-donors is tied to that, too.

"It should be fabulous," Parker said in an email to Obama supporters.

Obama began airing two new ads Wednesday, one about his work with veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and another aimed at seniors dependent on Medicare.

In the veterans spot, Obama credits veterans for allowing the U.S. to "go after al-Qaida and kill (Osama) bin Laden" and says the nation has a "sacred trust" to help veterans heal their wounds and find jobs. The ad on Medicare notes that Obama was raised by his grandparents and cites his administration's efforts to root out health care fraud.

The TV ads are part of the $25 million ad buy the Obama campaign launched in May, running in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia.

Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said Obama's team can't "distract voters from three years of broken promises on Medicare and our commitments to our veterans."

___

Associated Press writer Jack Gillum in Washington contributed to this report.

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Having Self Motivation Helps | Self Help Motivation

Article by GenXWriter

Having Self Motivation Helps ? Self Help ? Motivational

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Self motivation, who has not required some good techniques to help themselves at one point or another in their life. It could have been waking up at a certain time in the morning to go to school or work, or go for that daily run even though it?s a little cold outside. If you want to be in a position to effectively use your mind power to motivate yourself you have got to have patience.

Have a thorough understanding of yourself, your weaknesses and strengths, your dreams, hopes and so on. Self awareness is step 1 towards self incentive. If you?re mindful of your limitations your goals are practical and motivating.

Here is another empowering self inspiring fact : you may not have control over what life throws at you but you do have control over how you respond. You can either reply as a victim or as a self inspirational person who takes accountability for the end result and does something about it.

The other things might be getting recognized from strangers, and when the family galvanizes you, self improvement how critical it is for you to develop in your profession, and ultimately autonomy do you work better without an administrator. When you have finished the self motivation test you?ll see your top inspiring strengths and also your weaknesses.

To raise yourself motivation, you want to keep some things in mind before you write your goals. Ask, why are you doing this? Can this really help and get me on another path? How is it going to boost my life? How will this goal intending to make me feel? Who am i going to make happy?

Self motivation is something that might require a lot of effort because it can be hard on some people, it is something that must be worked on steadily so that it can be totally achieved. Now you can have someone teach you self incentive, or you can step up to the plate and try to reach it by teaching it to oneself.

The target is to build a list of free online sales coaching and motivation resources available on the internet and use them in a continual inducement program. You have some links saved in your favourites list. Your sales team will have some also. First try to imagine if you had a list of links to all those sales and incentive sites you already know about, all in one simple to access place.

One of the best things that you can do is to sketch out a plan detailing your goal and the steps that you are going to take to achieve your dreams. It?s also a good idea to frequently re-assess your scheme and make sure that you continue to feel that your original methodology is the best one.

Stimulate your wish. Seeing their potential future incentivizes many to enroll for get-rich-quick plans. The truly good sales reps can put you in your imagined perfect home in minutes, and make you feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn how to be your own sales representative.

Everyone in life goes thru satisfied and unhappy times. When the going gets tough you need the support and motivation of your loved ones. If you have your friends amd family always there when you need them, then you?re a really blessed person so keep that in mind when you are down.

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Eric has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in diet, fitness and weight loss, you can also check out his latest website which focuses on cheap laptop cases for women.

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Eric has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in diet, fitness and weight loss, you can also check out his latest website which focuses on cheap laptop cases for women.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author?s information and copyright must be included.

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Tips on choosing the best eye lenses

There are many brands of eye lenses that are there in the market and could get you confused on the best that you can use. Well, to free you from this you can use the help of your doctor or you can simply go through this article to get the tips on how to choose the best lenses.

1: Confirm with a specialist.

As the experts say asking does not actually mean that you are stupid; it simply means that you have the best of interest in your desire to know. Thus, getting help from an eye specialist would give you all the info that you require in getting your lenses. Consultation prices would vary depending on the doctors that you choose.

2: Are your eyes sensitive?

There are different types of lenses that you could wear depending on how sensitive your eyes are.

For example those people with the most sensitive eyes would wear lenses on a daily basis. This means that you would have to spend a few extra coins to get the lenses that would suit your sensitive eyes.

3: Which color do you love?

There are different colors that you could choose from. Clear or colored ? the choice is yours. Colored lenses could also enhance the way you look depending on the color that you love.

4: Bifocal lenses

Are you tired of bifocal framed glasses? You should try out the bifocal lenses that have been recently released in the market. This would be beneficial if you have a problem with seeing objects that are near your position and the ones far away.

5: Brand

You can review your options so that you can select the best brand of contacts for you. You can ask help from an eye care professional. They will give you contact lenses to try on for a period ranging from a day, week or month depending on the lens selected. A schedule of follow up exam is set so that your eye care doctor can examine the fit of the lens and check the health of your eye.

The market has a variety of brands that you can choose from. This makes choosing tough on your side. You could seek a doctor to inform you on the best brands that are available. The specialists would give you a recommendation after carrying out an examination of your eyes.

6: How did you feel when you used lenses previously?

It is important to tell the truth to your specialists on how you felt as you wore your earlier lenses. If you want other types of lenses, you could also tell your doctor so that he/she can recommend you the most suitable ones. Your eyes should be comfortable with what you choose.

7: Can you manage the cleaning

Contact lenses need to be cleaned regularly. If you have the time to do the cleaning you could opt for the lenses that are cleaned regularly. A busy person can also choose lenses that do not need regular cleaning.

With the above few tips you can go ahead and choose the lenses that best suit your needs.

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Kids Online retail market in India [Infographic] - India Business Blog

2 comments

With the pace of growth of ecommerce in India, there is an explosion of new online stores in India. While many of them are multi-category retail shops, many of them are opening up niche shops, catering to specific audience.

Kids apparel, footwear etc is one of the fastest growing niche ? Folks at Discountpandit.com came up with short nifty infographic some time back giving you a quick overview of Kids e-tailing market in India.

Currently, the online market is at a very nascent stage, Online retail has only 2% market share of the total retail market in India. However, internet and mobile commerce is growing at hectic and the online retail is expected to grow multifold in coming years!

If you enjoyed this article, join 16,702 others and get free email updates!

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Arris reveals Moxi DVR release 2.0 with web browser, apps and iPad remote

If your cable company is offering Arris' Moxi Whole Home DVR setup (we've seen it pop up on Shaw, BendBroadband and Wide Open West so far) you should have a few new features headed your way. This week at the NCTA Cable Show 2012 it's debuting Moxi software release 2.0 which adds in a WebKit-based browser, downloadable apps and an appstore the TV provider can customize itself, as well as APIs and SDKs aplenty to bring in third party developers. With the SDK, other companies can pair mobile devices and build in remotes or stream content, while Arris is also showing off its own iPad app (images after the break) for remote DVR scheduling. Unfortunately, we're told these upgrades won't trickle down to owners of Moxi's retail DVRs, but considering how close they came to total deactivation, we're not that surprised.

Continue reading Arris reveals Moxi DVR release 2.0 with web browser, apps and iPad remote

Arris reveals Moxi DVR release 2.0 with web browser, apps and iPad remote originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 05:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobe leads Lakers past Thunder in 99-96 thriller

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? With their Game 2 collapse still fresh in their minds, the Los Angeles Lakers avoided a sequel with the only game plan they're confident will work against the younger, faster Oklahoma City Thunder.

They got slow. They got into the paint. And they got to the free-throw line 42 times, incredibly making all but one of those shots.

Kobe Bryant knows it isn't pretty. He also knows it's probably the only way the Lakers can pull the high-flying Thunder down to their level.

Bryant scored 14 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers rallied late for a 99-96 victory in Game 3 on Friday night, cutting the Thunder's second-round series lead to 2-1.

"That's two games in a row that we controlled the tempo," said Bryant, who surpassed Gail Goodrich's 1972 team record of 17 free throws without a miss.

"We did a good job of controlling the pace of the game and being physical," Bryant added. "It's not taxing, it's fun. It's a challenge, and we all enjoy that. I know I certainly do. You want to be against an opponent that you respect, and you know is going to bring it physically and emotionally."

The Lakers were close to a historically insurmountable playoff deficit when the Thunder went ahead 92-87 with 3 minutes left. Instead, they finished on a 12-4 run, scoring six points on free throws in the final 33 seconds and earning the chance to even the series in Game 4 on Saturday night.

Metta World Peace swiped the ball from Kevin Durant and hit two free throws with 12.9 seconds left for the third-seeded Lakers. When Durant missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Andrew Bynum blocked Serge Ibaka's shot at the buzzer, the Lakers' frenzied crowd celebrated only their second victory in the last six playoff games.

"We continued to work, even when they got the lead a couple of times in the fourth quarter," said Pau Gasol, who had 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. "It's in us. We want to win this series, we want to beat this team, and we will do whatever it takes. Obviously, we know how hard it is going to be, but we are ready for it."

The back-to-back schedule won't help the Lakers' weary legs in their 11th playoff game in 21 days. Yet while the Thunder have shown more skill and athleticism than the Lakers can match, Los Angeles has largely controlled the tempo for two straight games.

Who knows what's possible in the shadow of the Lakers' 16 championship banners?

"It's going to take a mental commitment on our part in order to fight through the fatigue we might feel (Saturday)," Gasol said. "It's going to be all will, and desire, and effort. Just pushing ourselves through everything and anything that we might be feeling."

Durant scored 31 points before missing his last shot for Oklahoma City, which seemed poised to move to the brink of its second straight trip to the Western Conference finals. Instead, the Thunder lost for the first time in the postseason ? but they didn't exactly appear shaken by their late struggles.

"It was just one of those games where we didn't close it out," Russell Westbrook said. "But we played hard, and we'll be ready for tomorrow."

Westbrook and James Harden scored 21 points apiece for the Thunder, who couldn't match the Lakers' late-game execution after soundly out-executing the Lakers in Game 2.

The Lakers said the 41-of-42 performance at the line was the second-best in NBA playoff history for teams with more than 30 attempts. Only Dallas' 49-for-50 effort against San Antonio on May 19, 2003, was better.

"We put them on the line," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "We can't do that. Down the stretch, you have to defend them without fouling and rebound the basketball. Unfortunately, we came up short."

Bynum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who got 12 points apiece from Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake. The Lakers still got uncomfortably close to an 0-3 deficit, which has never been overcome in NBA history.

Oklahoma City's bench celebrated a 92-87 lead on Westbrook's breakaway dunk with 2:55 to play, but the Lakers trimmed away with Gasol's free throws, Bryant's layup and several possessions of tenacious defense. Bryant's free throws put the Lakers ahead with 1:09 to play.

Durant immediately hit a go-ahead jumper with a hand squarely in his face, but Bryant added two more free throws ? his 15th and 16th ? to put Los Angeles ahead 95-94. The Thunder finished 26 of 28 from the line, but the Lakers went 17 for 18 in the fourth quarter alone.

"We knew they were going to approach the game with a lot of intensity down 0-2," Durant said. "We did a great job of fighting back and taking a lead. ... We can play any type of basketball. That's what's good about our team. We can play fast. We can play slow. That's what tonight was, and so was Game 2. But both games, we did a good job of fighting. Tonight, we just didn't come out on top."

The game was the first of four second-round NBA playoff games in just over 48 hours at Staples Center, also the site of the NHL's Western Conference finals between and Kings and Phoenix on Thursday and Sunday. The top-seeded San Antonio Spurs will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday in an afternoon game before the Thunder and Lakers play Game 4.

Thanks to the NBA's shortened schedule, the Lakers are playing their first back-to-back playoff games since May 22-23, 1999, in the second round against San Antonio during another season shortened by labor strife.

NOTES: Before the game, Gasol received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his charity work as a UNICEF ambassador. World Peace won the award last season. ... Kendrick Perkins had six points in 30 minutes, but Brooks put no limit on his minutes in the back-to-back games despite the veteran's sore hip. ... NBA Commissioner David Stern, Denzel Washington, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Ice Cube, Redskins QB Robert Griffin III and the Los Angeles Kings' Mike Richards, Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll attended the game.

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Top 10 Fruits Rich in Antioxidants | Health & Fitness

One often wonders what this hype about antioxidants is. Almost all the food products in the market these days are puffing their products to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that are capable of protecting the cells from free radicals? activities, such as damage to cells, which can cause diseases, in various parts of the body, like heart, brain, eyes, and eventually will develop cancers. Below are some of the fruits that are known to be rich in antioxidants:

1.??Prunes

Prunes are now being called dried plums, because it is basically the dried version of the European plums. Prunes are sticky, chewy, sweet and very nutritious. Just a fourth of a cup of dried plums can already provide 32.3 percent of the vitamin K daily requirement. Dried plums can also provide fiber and potassium. Aside from that, dried plums are also highly rich in neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid, phytonutrients that makes prunes an effective antioxidant. A specific free radical in the body called superoxide anion radical is extremely damaging to the body, particularly on the cell membrane that is covered with fats. Neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids are valuable specific fighters of superoxide anion radical. With increased prune consumption, cell membranes are protected, decreasing the chances of developing debilitating diseases.

Raisins

The dried version of grapes is called raisins, or Vitus vinifera. Raisins may not be as abundant in nutrients compared to grapes itself, but it is highly rich in antioxidant content. Grapes, when dried, still retain its flavonols. The flavonols in raisin are hydroxycinnamics, flavan-3-ols and procyanidins. These phenols are effective antioxidants. With just a quarter of a cup of raisins, with only 108 calories, one can already store enough antioxidant rich elements that protect the body from further degradation.

Blueberries

Although it is only second to strawberry in popularity among the berries, blueberries are popular because of its antioxidant capacity, which can help protect the DNA through protection of the structure of the cells in the body.? A cup of blueberries offers a third of the vitamin K daily requirement of the body. It also is rich in manganese, fiber and vitamin C, for a minimal amount of calories. Eating the blue, purple or red skin of the fruit may be odd, but these pigments actually contain the anthocyanin, a popular phytonutrient that is effective in supporting the body from invasion of diseases. Aside from anthocyanin, blueberry is also rich in flavonols, hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acid and resveratrol, all acting as antioxidant, as well as anti-inflammatory compounds for the body. These antioxidants in blueberry are effective for all systems of the body, from cardiovascular system to regulation of blood sugar and support of eye health. Blueberry is considered an amazing antioxidant fruit because of its whole body support.

Blackberries

Not as popular as other berries, blackberries are not very well studied for its antioxidant component. But according to the ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, scale, blackberries are among the highest in antioxidant levels. Not only is it rich in vitamin C, E, K and A, as well as selenium, conventional antioxidant nutrients, blackberries are also rich in anthocyanin, catechins, quercetin, kaempferol. It is also rich in carotenoids, which not only prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and inflammatory diseases from developing, but also protects damages to the eyes.

Strawberries

Strawberries are the most popular among berries and they are very rich in vitamin C. Just a cup of strawberries, which is about 144 grams, can already provide 141.1 percent of the vitamin C daily requirement. Vitamin C is already a potent antioxidant; it scavenges on free radical. Our cell, when it is used by the body produces free radicals. Free radicals may also come from the environment, such as from the foods we eat or the air we breathe. These substances will stay inside our body and will cause damages to the integrity of the cell membrane. Vitamin C from strawberries will hunt these free radicals, decreasing their number inside the body and preventing diseases. Aside from vitamin C, strawberries also contain phytonutrients that are both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. These phytonutrients are the powerful anthocyanin, flavonols, hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, tannins and the resveratrol. The synergistic effect of these phytonutrients has shown to be effective in protecting the health of the cardiovascular system.

Raspberries

This sweet and tart berry may only provide 53.7 percent of vitamin C daily value per cup compared to other fruits, yet it has more powerful anti-cancer effects. This is due to ellagitannins, a compound that is almost unique for raspberries. But aside from that, raspberries are also rich in vitamin B, manganese, folate, potassium, magnesium and copper ? vitamins and minerals that help protect the cells of the body from damage caused by the free radicals.

Plums

The dried version of plums is prunes. If prunes is very rich in antioxidant compounds, then plums is equally more than rich in antioxidant components. Just a piece of plum, about 66 grams each, has ample amounts of vitamin C, A, K, fiber, potassium and tryptophan. All these vitamins and minerals are effective in preventing disease-causing damage to the cells. Aside from that, its antioxidant phenols is also potent in neutralizing the superoxide anion radical, a substance that causes damage to the fats that protects the cells. If there is increase of this type of radicals in the body, neurons are destroyed causing diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer?s disease, or cardiac cells are destroyed causing cardiovascular diseases. By eating enough plums, these diseases are prevented.

Oranges

A piece of orange that weighs 131 grams can already provide 116.1 percent of the required daily allowance for vitamin C with only 61 calories. Oranges are also rich in fiber, folate, vitamin B1, potassium, vitamin A and calcium. All these vitamins and minerals are effective antioxidants in the body.? However, there is more antioxidant power in orange in the form of hesperidin, a type of flavonone. Herperidin is considered the most important antioxidant in orange because of its ability to lower the blood pressure and cholesterol. Herperidin is also a potent anti-inflammatory that prevents cardiovascular problems, arthritis, respiratory problems and cancers.

Red grapes

Vitamin C and manganese are conventional antioxidants, and they are highly rich in red grapes. But there is more. Red grapes are a wealth of antioxidants in the form of phytonutrients. Stilbenes, flavonols, phenolic acids and carotenoids are rich in red grapes. All these components can reduce enzymes related to oxygen, such as xanthines, from becoming overactive. Grapes can also increase glutathione in the blood; glutathione is an important nutrient that acts as antioxidant. Grapes also lower the oxidative stress, therefore reducing the amount of free radicals in the body. Moreover, the components in grapes protect the cells from the damage caused by free radicals, thereby reducing incidences of incapacitating diseases.

Cherries

Cherries are one of the fruits with the most amounts of antioxidants. The anthocyanin in cherries makes the fruit on top of the list, considering that anthocyanin is the most effective among the phytonutrients. ?In a study conducted by the Michigan State University on the luscious red tart cherries, the antioxidant component is just similar to the vitamin E supplement. It has the capacity to reduce the cardiovascular diseases, gout, arthritis and other chronic diseases. Anthocyanin prevents the cells from oxidative stress. Because of this, inflammatory diseases are prevented.

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Buffett's Berkshire to buy Media General papers

NEW YORK (AP) ? Billionaire Warren Buffett's company is making another foray into newspapers, agreeing to buy 63 newspapers from Media General Inc. for $142 million.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is also extending a loan to Media General and taking a 19.9 percent stake in the company, which will still own 18 TV stations. Media General also owns some websites, such as coupon provider DealTaker.com.

Media General on Thursday said the deal includes all of its newspapers except the Tampa Tribune of Florida and smaller newspapers in that market. It's in talks to sell those newspapers to other buyers.

Berkshire Hathaway is buying the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia, the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina and the Morning News of Florence, S.C., among others.

Berkshire Hathaway has owned the Buffalo News of New York for decades and bought its hometown paper, the Omaha World-Herald, in December. The company is also the largest shareholder of Washington Post Co., with a 23 percent stake.

Buffett has defended newspapers, saying that they will have a decent future if they continue delivering information that can't be found elsewhere. They also need to stop offering news free online, he has said.

"In towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper," Buffett said in a statement Thursday. "The many locales served by the newspapers we are acquiring fall firmly in this mold and we are delighted they have found a permanent home with Berkshire Hathaway."

That's a reversal of his opinion in 2009, when he told Berkshire shareholders that most newspapers faced the possibility of unending losses because the industry had lost its essential nature.

"For most newspapers in the United States, we would not buy them at any price," he said then.

Berkshire is also lending $445 million to Media General, which it will use to pay off debt. In return, Berkshire is getting the 19.9 percent stake in Media General and a seat on the board.

Shares of Media General, which is based in Richmond, Va., jumped $1.29, or 41 percent, to $4.43 in late morning trading. The stock has ranged from $1.14 to $6.84 over the past year. Berkshire's Class B shares added 13 cents to $80.72.

Berkshire paid $150 million cash and assumed $50 million in debt when it acquired the World-Herald Co. from its employees, retirees and a charitable foundation.

Associated Press

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Flexible Displays Landing in 2012, But Not in Apple Gear

Flexible displays have tickled our imaginations for years. And before the end of 2012, we'll finally see companies employing flexible displays in their products. But while the possibilities are tantalizing, don't let your imagination run wild.

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16th-century big thinker Erasmus was censored

More than 400 years before modern-day governments tried shutting down blogs or blocking tweets, two people tasked with censoring a sometimes-critic of the Catholic Church in Renaissance Europe took to their duties in very different ways: one with great beauty, the other with glue and, it appears, a message.

Now, two books, housed at separate libraries at the University of Toronto, illustrate two unusual approaches censors took when dealing with the same author, Erasmus.

Born in Rotterdam around 1466, Erasmus was a prolific writer who sought out wisdom in ancient Greek and Latin texts. His writings, mass produced thanks to the printing press, were at times critical of the Catholic Church.

By the time he died in 1536, the church was breaking apart, with splinter groups known as Protestants coming into conflict with the Catholics. English King Henry VIII was one of the most famous examples of a Protestant, creating a Church of England separate from church authorities in Rome. [ In Photos: A Journey Through Early Christian Rome ]

The conflicts that ensued between Catholics and Protestants were fought not just with guns and swords, but with ideas, especially the printed word. Erasmus was considered by some to be a Protestant sympathizer, and in 1559 his texts were put on a Roman index of forbidden books. Both sides tried to censor each other whenever they could, with the Catholics being somewhat more effective, at least during the 16th century.

"They had the agents to be able to do it," said Pearce Carefoote, a librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto and author of "Forbidden Fruit: Banned, Censored, and Challenged Books from Dante to Harry Potter" (Lester, Mason & Begg, 2007).

"Protestants didn't have that same ability in the 16th century," Carefoote added, noting that Protestants didn't have the same level of organization.

Censoring with glue ... and words
One book, "Adagorium," was published in 1541 in Lyon, France, and was cataloged this month in the Thomas Fisher Library. The book contains ancient proverbs written in Latin and Greek along with commentary by Erasmus.

Parts of it are blotted out with ink, a practice not unusual for the time. However, one section was treated with particular disdain, having pages ripped out, sections inked out and two of the pages actually glued together, still stuck after more than 400 years. [ See Photos of the Censored Books ]

"They've censored it, and then just to make sure they glued the page together," Carefoote told LiveScience. "This is the first time I've ever seen that (the use of glue)."

If that wasn't enough, the censor appears to have left a message on the front, written in Latin, blasting Erasmus. It reads (in translation), "O Erasmus, you were the first to write the praise of folly, indicating the foolishness of your own nature." One of Erasmus' works was called "The Praise of Folly."

Carefoote cautioned that the message could've been written by another person, though the ink seems to match that of the censor. From the style of writing Carefoote thinks the censorship may have occurred late in the 16th century but more research is needed to firm up that date.

Erasmus' ideas on war seem to have gotten lots of ink; that section of the book begins with the adage "Dulce bellum inexpertis," or "war is sweet to those who haven't experienced it." The censorship starts out slow at first with just a sentence blotted out here and there, but picks up later with entire sections being inked over. Carefoote suspects some Catholics would not have been amused by these ideas on war.

"He would not have gone along with the basic 'just war' theories that the scholastics (a group of thinkers) had developed," Carefoote said of Erasmus. [ The History of Human Aggression ]

After it was censored, the book was likely kept in a restricted library called an inferno, Carefoote suggests. That would've made reading it difficult. "Say this was kept in a cathedral library, in a Catholic town, what you would have to do is, you would have to put in a petition to one of the church officials," he said. "They would examine your reasons for why you need to see this book and they would give permission to let you read it."

The book was bequeathed to the library by the late Ralph Stanton, an avid collector of books and a mathematics professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Censoring with beauty
In contrast to the newly discovered glued-up book, another example of Erasmus' writing, held at the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies at the University of Toronto, reveals a censor who took to his task with an artistic flourish.

Published in Basel, Switzerland, in 1538 this book contains essays by Erasmus introducing the writing of St. Ambrose, a fourth-century saint who was the bishop of Milan.

1. More science news from msnbc.com

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   2. Ancient 'Loch Ness monster' had arthritis
   3. Oldest evidence of insect pollination found
   4. 16th-century big thinker Erasmus was censored

"It is one of the most exquisitely beautiful examples of censorship, with the offending passages obliterated using vibrant watercolors framed in baroque scroll frames with attending putti (an image of a male child)," Carefoote writes in his 2007 book. While the censor blanked out the prefaces by Erasmus he left the saint?s work alone. It's not known what Erasmus said that got him censored. It's also not known why the censor, probably a librarian, approached his job with such artistry.

"You have some librarians who just love books and so it could have been that the book itself he wanted to preserve in as good a state as he possibly could, so therefore he complied with the law but he did it in such a way that it was not offensive to the book," Carefoote said.

Or perhaps, deep down, the censor actually sympathized with Erasmus' work. "Maybe he sympathized with Erasmus and so he wasn't going to the extremes that (the other person) did," Carefoote added.

Whatever the reasons, these censors have left researchers with two remarkable 16th-century artifacts, now within walking distance of each other. Two works by the same author, both of which were censored, one with glue and the other with artistic beauty.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

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Nebraska GOP chooses Senate challenger for Kerrey

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nebraska Republicans on Tuesday were choosing a candidate to square off against Democrat Bob Kerrey, a former senator seeking another turn on Capitol Hill in one of the year's most hotly contested Senate races.

The GOP primary fight illustrates a years-old split between the two wings of the GOP. State Attorney General Jon Bruning, backed by establishment Republicans, is trying to overcome a spirited challenge from state Sen. Deb Fischer, who has tea party support. State Treasurer Don Stenberg also was on the ballot.

Elsewhere, Oregon was deciding whether to give its 25 presidential delegates to Mitt Romney, the all-but-certain GOP nominee. Nebraska Republicans also were weighing in on the GOP race though no delegates would be allotted in a vote that amounts to a beauty contest. The state's 32 delegates to the Republican National Convention later this year will be determined at the state convention on July 14.

Romney was 171 delegates short of the 1,144 needed for the nomination and is on pace to get them before the month ends. He was spending the day in Iowa, a competitive general election battleground, delivering a speech on the economy as he looks to counter President Barack Obama on voters' top concern.

Idaho voters also were picking nominees for state and congressional offices.

But the biggest race Tuesday was Nebraska's GOP Senate primary.

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, a two-term moderate, is retiring and both parties are eyeing his seat. Democrats want to keep it to maintain their Senate majority, while Republicans see an opportunity in their drive to win back control of the Senate.

Democrats control the Senate 51-47, plus two independents who caucus the majority. But the outcome in November of several competitive Senate races could result in a power shift.

Kerrey, who served Nebraska as governor and as a U.S. senator before leaving Congress in 2001 to become a university president in New York, reluctantly agreed to run again to help give Democrats a shot at holding a seat they've long controlled.

Republicans in Washington turned to Bruning, who has been successful in statewide races. But in the final stretch of the Senate campaign, he has found that his nomination is hardly assured.

Fischer, a rancher in rural Nebraska, has mounted a feisty campaign that in the past few weeks has attracted attention and endorsements from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and other tea party darlings. She's also backed by an outside group, created by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, that's running TV ads on her behalf.

Stenberg, for his part, has argued that he is the only "genuine, life-long conservative" in the race.

---

Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington and Grant Schulte in Lincoln, Neb., contributed to this report.

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'Avengers' Star Chris Hemsworth Welcomes Daughter India

Hemsworth's wife, actress Elsa Pataky, gave birth to the couple's first child 'very recently.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Chris Hemsworth
Photo: WireImage

It seems Thor now has an heir to his throne. Chris Hemsworth and his wife, actress Elsa Pataky, welcomed their first child, a daughter named India.

The news of the baby's birth broke on Saturday, while the "Avengers" actor was in London promoting his other big film release, "Snow White and The Huntsman." "It was just a name we liked, I always kind of liked Indie or Indiana for a boy and she liked India," the Australian actor told E! News. "We sorta went, 'Oh well, whether it's a boy or girl, that will decide.' It just seemed to fit."

According to People.com, the baby was born on Friday, but Hemsworth refused to confirm that report when chatting with E!, only noting that India was born "very recently." He did add, "I've wanted to have kids for a long time, and here it is, and I couldn't be happier."

Hemsworth and Pataky, who married in December 2010, announced they were expecting back in January. "Since it's our first child, we don't care if it's a boy or girl, our only wish is that it's healthy," Pataky said at the time. "I'm only going to speak to the baby in Spanish. I already told my husband, 'Get ready fast with Spanish because, if not, you're not going to be able to understand what we say.' "

With "The Avengers" continuing to rule the box office and breaking records while it's at it (it just crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide), it's a good time to be a Hemsworth. "Snow White and the Huntsman," which also stars Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron, opens June 1.

Share your well-wishes for Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky in the comments!

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No More Beating Around The Bush At Yahoo: Thompson Is Out, Levinsohn In As CEO, Effective Immediately

Well, after days and days of nothing, suddenly things are moving at a fast clip. After news came out just hours ago that Thompson might be leaving the company tomorrow, moments ago Yahoo officially confirmed the news, as we reported earlier: Ross Levinsohn is now interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing Scott Thompson, and Fred Amoroso is chairman of the board. Scott Thompson's departure and the reasons for it are not mentioned at all in the statement, which simply says he has left the company. (Earlier a report in AllThingsD had said he would resign for personal reasons, although at least in this statement nothing at all is mentioned for why he has left.) The announcement from Yahoo also underscores how activist shareholder Third Point is very much a key player in all of this.

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This Tactical Vest Is Your Not-So-Impractical Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Conversation starters. Everyone needs one, especially at a party. It's best to arrive with a few topical points up your sleeve, ready to pull them out at the right moment. Some go for sports facts, some news trivia, a couple political topics to drop. And some people choose to bring ridiculous identifiers so they stand out and are approached. A hat or overly-visible shoes, others bring an abrasive personality. But show up in a tactical vest, and everyone will want to know what your deal is. More »

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