1 year later, lone gray wolf still prowling Calif.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) ? He doesn't like busy Interstate 5 or eating cattle, at least so far. He gets along with his distant cousins the coyotes, likes to swim and roams a lot ? an awful lot ? around the northernmost reaches of the Golden State.

A week or so ago, California's lone gray wolf passed his one-year anniversary as a transplant resident with the same technical accoutrements some people possess: a Twitter account and an online site about his travels.

"What strikes me about him is that when I talk to the general public they show remarkable knowledge about his movements, much more than some world events," said Richard Callas, a senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Wolves captivate public interest.

"No matter how you feel about wolves, when you see one it's amazing," he added.

Far larger than coyotes, wolves were feared and hunted to near-extinction in the U.S. before being protected by the Endangered Species Act. They were reintroduced in the Northern Rockies in the mid-1990s, and some migrated into Idaho and Oregon, where they have quickly reproduced.

California's wolf is known as OR-7 because he was the seventh in Oregon to be fitted with a GPS tracking collar. While most wolves stay within 100 miles of where they were born, OR-7 proved different: he trotted 1,000 miles from northeast Oregon to California, then more than 2,000 since arriving.

Scientists speculate the 3?-year-old is looking for a mate or a new pack, though they know both prospects are remote. He is believed to be the first of the predators to roam within the state's boundaries since 1924, when the last gray wolf was killed by a trapper intent on making the West safe for cattle.

"The reality is OR-7 is not likely to find a mate in California. He'll likely pass on without successfully reproducing," said Karen Kovacs, whose job as wildlife program manager for the state Department of Fish & Wildlife has been focused lately on this one animal.

His presence has prompted action by one state and two federal agencies that now have to figure out how to manage the species if others follow in his 5-inch paw prints. Federal wildlife agencies had not considered California a part of the original western states wolf recovery plan.

Currently the state is considering a petition that would list the wolf as endangered, as he already is federally in California. Killing the wolf means a $100,000 federal fine.

If the state's wildlife commission approves the petition come October, authorities would determine how many wolves would be needed to populate a given area before the species would not be considered endangered anymore. It would include a plan to deal with livestock depredation and monitoring for disease such as distemper and rabies.

OR-7 has aroused concerns among residents of the northeastern counties who fear the wolf will kill livestock, although officials say he has not so far.

The California Cattlemen's Association opposes listing the wolf on California's endangered species list based on a single animal wandering into the state.

"Any time a predator is introduced, or in this case crosses the border, it concerns people especially those in Northern California where this wolf now seems to call his home," said Justin Oldfield, vice president of government relations for the association. "Our goal now is to work with (wildlife agencies) to see how we can manage this predator in California. That would include things such as ... what livestock owners can do to protect their animals."

The lone wolf also has been celebrated by fans such as (at)iamgreenbean who this week sent the message "We are THRILLED to have you" to the Twitter account (at)WolfOR7. The anonymous wolf often tweets about eating ungulates, or asking journalists, "Why the fixation with my love life?"

So beloved is OR-7 in Oregon that a newspaper cartoonist depicted him as a candidate during the 2012 presidential campaign.

Despite the high tech gadgetry hanging from his neck, sightings are rare. Kovac's department updates a tracking map when OR-7 moves significantly out of an area, but since July he has been hanging out mostly in Tehama County, and wildlife officers don't want the public to know exactly where. Cattle ranchers, however, are warned if he gets too close or stays too long in one area.

"When we believe he's reached a threshold, when he's hanging around in one area too long,... we have felt compelled to knock on doors and tell them to be a little more vigilant," Kovacs said.

For the past month, he has been roaming around the northern and eastern edges of Tehama County around Red Bluff as he follows deer migrating from the northern Sierra to lower grazing areas at around 1,500 feet. He has approached I-5 on several occasions, but never crossed the freeway though he has repeatedly crossed less traveled highways.

With a sample size of just one, it's hard to note any breakthroughs in wolf science, though researchers have been amazed at the distances OR-7 has covered. The 3,000 miles recorded are just connecting the dots between GPS coordinates and don't count any meandering in between.

"If you look at dispersing gray wolves, OR-7 is clearly on the far end of the bell curve in terms of how far he has traveled," Kovacs said. "He's not the first, but there are a handful that have traveled this far. That has been what's most interesting about him."

___

Reach Tracie Cone on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TConeAP

.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/1-later-lone-gray-wolf-still-prowling-calif-182725346.html

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Ravens extend Lewis' career

Baltimore dominates second half, spoils rookie QB Luck's playoff debut

By BARRY WILNER

updated 4:13 p.m. ET Jan. 6, 2013

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Ravens wanted one long final ride for Ray Lewis.

They also wanted Denver. They got it.

Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, they now face a far more imposing challenge - Peyton Manning and the streaking Broncos.

Anquan Boldin set a franchise record with 145 yards receiving, including the clinching touchdown in the Ravens' 24-9 victory Sunday over the Colts in an AFC wild-card game. The win delays star linebacker Lewis' retirement for at least another week as Baltimore (11-6) heads to top-seeded Denver (13-3) next Saturday.

The Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17 three weeks ago.

"I wanted Denver," Boldin said, "because they beat us.

"We'll make it different."

And he wanted the Broncos because it prolongs the Ravens' pursuit of their first NFL title since the 2000 season, when Lewis won the first of two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

"I came to Baltimore to win a championship," Boldin added. "We all did."

Lewis, who made 13 tackles Sunday, ended his last home game in Baltimore at fullback, of all things, for the final kneel-down. He then went into a short version of his trademark dance before being mobbed by teammates.

He followed with a victory lap, his right arm, covered by a brace, held high in salute to the fans after playing for the first time since tearing his right triceps on Oct. 14 against Dallas.

"My only focus was to come in and get my team a win. Nothing else was planned," the 37-year-old Lewis said. "It's one of those things, when you recap it all and try to say what is one of your greatest moments.

"I knew how it started but I never knew how it would end here in Baltimore. To go the way it did today, I wouldn't change nothing."

He would like nothing more than to change past results against Manning, who was 2-0 in the postseason against Baltimore while with the Colts.

"It's on to the next one," the 17-year veteran said. "We saw them earlier in the year and now we get them back again, but with all of our guns back."

The loss ended the Colts' turnaround season in which they went from 2-14 to the playoffs in coach Chuck Pagano's first year in Indianapolis (11-6). Pagano missed 12 weeks while undergoing treatment for leukemia and returned last week.

He was upbeat following the defeat to the team he served as an assistant coach for four years.

"The foundation is set, and we said we were going to build one on rock and not on sand," Pagano said. "You weather storms like this and you learn from times like this."

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who went 9-3 as interim coach, was absent Sunday after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Pagano said Arians "is fine" and would stay overnight for observation before rejoining the Colts on Monday.

Quarterback coach Clyde Christensen called the plays, but Baltimore's suddenly revitalized defense - inspired by Lewis' pending retirement, no doubt - never let standout rookie QB Luck get comfortable.

"It's great making the playoffs, but you can't make mistakes and expect to beat a playoff team like we did," said Luck, who was sacked three times, Paul Kruger getting 2 1/2 of those. "We'll have to look back at those and hopefully fix them."

Sunday's victory enhanced the Ravens' success rate in opening playoff games. Flacco now has won at least one postseason game in all five of his pro seasons, the only quarterback to do it in the Super Bowl era.

His main target Sunday was Boldin, who had receptions of 50 and 46 yards, plus his 18-yard TD on a floater from Flacco in the corner of the end zone with 9:14 to go.

"I told (Flacco) before the game I was going to get 200 yards," Boldin said with a chuckle.

"It's huge for us. It's huge for this city, they've supported us this entire year and they expect a lot from us. In return, we want to give it to them."

Baltimore overcame the first two lost fumbles of the season by Ray Rice, too, as John Harbaugh became the only head coach in the Super Bowl era with wins in his first five playoff campaigns.

Backup halfback Bernard Pierce rescued Rice with a 43-yard burst that led to Boldin's touchdown, and ran for 103 yards.

Flacco also connected with Dennis Pitta for a 20-yard TD and rookie Justin Tucker made a 23-yard field goal.

Indy's only points came on three field goals by Adam Vinatieri, from 47, 52 and 26 yards. Luck completed 28 of 54 passes for 288 yards. It was the most attempts by a rookie in a playoff game.

Reggie Wayne had 108 yards on eight receptions and moved into second in career playoff catches with 91 - 60 behind leader Jerry Rice. But the Colts, who moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984 - they still are despised here - became the second NFL team to improve to 11 wins following a two-win season and then lose in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Ravens also beat the 2008 Dolphins in a similar scenario.

Both teams were sloppy early on, with Rice losing a fumble, Lewis dropping a potential interception, and Luck being stripped of the ball on a sack.

But Rice atoned with a 47-yard gain on a screen pass, leading to Vonta Leach's 2-yard touchdown.

That Pro Bowl backfield was bolstered by the kick returns of another Pro Bowl player, Jacoby Jones. He gained 60 yards on kickoff runbacks and 57 on punt returns.

Vinatieri, familiar with big kicks in the playoffs after winning two Super Bowls for New England with field goals, made a 47-yarder in the second quarter, a 52-yarder as the first half expired, and a 26-yarder near the end of the third period. But he also missed a 40-yarder wide right, his first miss against Baltimore after 18 successes.

NOTES: Ravens LB Dannell Ellerbe sprained an ankle late in the game. The Ravens didn't specify which ankle. ... Harbaugh is 6-4 in playoff games, as is Flacco. ... Rice finished with 70 yards rushing and Flacco threw for 282. ... Rookie Vick Ballard rushed for 91 yards for Indy. ... Colts T Winston Justice injured his arm.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Ravens extend Lewis' career

Fueled by the emotion of their retiring star's final home game, the Ravens physically dominated the Colts in their wild-card playoff game on Sunday, spoiling rookie quarterback Andrew Luck's playoff debut with a 24-9 win.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50380558/ns/sports-nfl/

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Chickpea Recipes: Garbanzos Might Be Our Favorite Bean (PHOTOS)

There's a lot of greatness to be discovered in those tiny chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). Not only do they play well with many different flavors, but we love how they're naturally creamy. Chickpea recipes are versatile -- think hummus and fried peas for a snack, stews and patties for a full meal -- and they're full of nutrition.

If you're not privy to cooking with garbanzo beans, try one of these chickpea recipes. You'll quickly change the error of your ways.

Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.

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LaCie's 4TB Blade Runner Hard Drive Looks Like a Renaissance Sculpture

LaCie's always had a certain flair for external hard drive design, bringing as much style to its hardware as functionality. But the company appears to have just one-upped its past efforts with the stunning Blade Runner that packs four terabytes of storage into an enclosure that looks like it was sculpted by a renaissance master. More »

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PFT: Panthers to retain Rivera as head coach

Carolina v New OrleansGetty Images

Ron Rivera got another chance.

But it may not be that good of one, and it?s only making their new general manager wait a year for his.

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson decided to keep Rivera after a Saturday meeting, despite Rivera?s 13-19 record, which includes back-to-back 2-8 starts and a 2-12 record in games decided by a touchdown or less. Going back to the lame-duck John Fox/clear-the-books 2010 season, the Panthers have won 15 of their previous 48 games, with just eight wins at home.

Rivera?s 7-3 in the month of December (including a January regular season game), which apparently went a long way toward buying him another year. But December only matters when December matters, which it hasn?t in Charlotte since 2008.

And from the looks of things, it?s hard to know how much improvement they can make in a make-or-break year for their head coach, which could mean another middle-of-the-road season at best.

They?re sitting around $16 million over the 2013 salary cap at the moment, meaning they?re going to have to subtract before they can add this offseason. They?re also short a pair of draft picks (a third and a seventh) for trades made last offseason.

It would be easy to call Richardson cheap for not pulling the plug on the last two year?s of Rivera?s deal, but his (perhaps excess) spending on a team that failed to deliver on high expectations this year shows he?s willing to spend.

So the general manager candidates the Panthers are working through know they?re walking into a situation with a young quarterback and a moderate level of talent, but no salary cap room, and no chance to create their own program with their own pick of head coach.

At least they know that walking in the door, giving them the benefit of a low bar now, with an opportunity to fix things in 2014 if things progress along a linear path.

The Bears wasted a season with coach Lovie Smith this year, essentially firing him because the Vikings beat the Packers last week to keep them out of the playoffs. That shows you that Smith wasn?t going to be hanging around first-year GM Phil Emery regardless.

Likewise, Rivera can?t feel any degree of security with a new boss walking in the door, knowing he?s working with effectively the same roster plus five draft picks, giving him a small chance to improve on a record that needs a lot of work.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/05/ron-rivera-will-remain-panthers-head-coach/related/

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Congress members seek investigation of Shell barge

A salvage team moves an emergency towing system across the deck of petroleum drilling ship Kulluk in this photo made Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, and provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

A salvage team moves an emergency towing system across the deck of petroleum drilling ship Kulluk in this photo made Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, and provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

This aerial image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. No leak has been seen from the drilling ship that grounded off the island during a storm, officials said, as opponents criticized the growing race to explore the Arctic for energy resources. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

Coast Guard Capt. Paul Mehler briefs reporters on the status of salvage operations for the Shell drill ship Kulluk at a press conference in the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012, in Anchorage, Alaska. The drill ship ran aground on Monday, Dec. 31, off Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

Royal Dutch Shell PLC incident commander Sean Churchfield briefs reporters on the status of salvage operations for the Shell drill ship Kulluk at a news conference in the Dena?ina Civic and Convention Center on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012, in Anchorage, Alaska. The drill ship ran aground on Monday, Dec. 31, off Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

(AP) ? Members of Congress are calling for an investigation of Royal Dutch Shell PLC's Arctic offshore drilling operations as salvagers develop plans to move a company drill ship off rocks near an Alaska island, where it ran aground in a fierce year end storm.

Shell incident commander Sean Churchfield said Thursday that the first salvage crew on board the Kulluk, a 266-foot diameter barge with a 160-foot derrick, reported back with details that will be used to begin planning. He would not speculate on when a salvage report might be ready.

"There is still a lot of work to do to bring a safe conclusion to this incident," he said.

The vessel is upright and stable, with no indication of a fuel leak, Churchfield said.

The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, meanwhile, said in a statement that the New Year's Eve grounding should trigger a look at Shell's entire Arctic Ocean drilling operation by the Interior Department and the Coast Guard.

The coalition is made up of 45 House Democrats.

"The recent grounding of Shell's Kulluk oil rig amplifies the risks of drilling in the Arctic," they said in a joint statement. "This is the latest in a series of alarming blunders, including the near-grounding of another of Shell's Arctic drilling rigs, the 47-year-old Noble Discoverer, in Dutch Harbor and the failure of its blowout containment dome, the Arctic Challenger, in lake-like conditions."

The coalition believes these "serious incidents" warrant thorough investigation, the statement said.

Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith said in an email that the company is in full support of, and is providing resources for, the investigation of the grounding by the Unified Incident Command, made up of federal, state and company representatives. Smith said the findings will be available to the public.

The Kulluk is a non-propelled vessel with a reinforced funnel-shaped hull designed to operate in ice. It is carrying more than 140,000 gallons of diesel and about 12,000 gallons of lube oil and hydraulic fluid. It drilled during the short open-water season last year in the Beaufort Sea.

A 360-foot anchor handler, the Aiviq, was towing the Kulluk from Dutch Harbor to Seattle last week for maintenance and upgrades when the tow line snapped south of Kodiak. Lines were reattached at least four times but could not be maintained. A lone tugboat still attached Monday night in a vicious storm couldn't control the vessel and cut it loose as it neared land.

After the grounding, critics quickly asserted it has foreshadowed what will happen north of the Bering Strait if drilling is allowed.

Environmentalists for years have said conditions are too harsh and the stakes too high to allow industrial development in the Arctic, where drilling sites are 1,000 miles or more from the closest Coast Guard base.

Two national organizations kept up the criticism Thursday by calling for a halt to all permitting for Arctic offshore drilling in the wake of the grounding.

"This string of mishaps by Shell makes it crystal clear that we are not ready to drill in the Arctic," said Chuck Clusen of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Shell is not Arctic-ready. We have lost all faith in Shell, and they certainly don't have any credibility left."

Lois Epstein, a civil engineer who works for The Wilderness Society in Anchorage, said Shell has made troubling, non-precautionary decisions that put workers and the Coast Guard at risk.

"These ongoing technical and decision-making problems and their enormous associated costs and risks taken by our military personnel once there were problems should lead the federal government to reassess its previous permitting decisions regarding Shell," Epstein said.

Shell has maintained it has taken a heads-up approach to anticipating and reacting to problems.

Shell officials say the Kulluk had been towed more than 4,000 miles and has experienced similar storm conditions. Shell staged additional towing vessels along the route in case problems occurred, said Smith, the Shell spokesman.

"We know how to work in regions like this," Smith said. "Having said that, when flawless execution does not happen, you learn from it, and we will."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-01-04-Shell-Arctic%20Drill%20Ship/id-5c37882b44ce416ca0965d0df83d3218

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Double-Star Systems Can Be Dangerous for Exoplanets

Alien planets born in widely separated two-star systems face a grave danger of being booted into interstellar space, a new study suggests.

Exoplanets?circling a star with a far-flung stellar companion ? worlds that are part of "wide binary" systems ? are susceptible to violent and dramatic orbital disruptions, including outright ejection, the study found.

Such effects are generally limited to sprawling planetary systems with at least one distantly orbiting world, while more compact systems are relatively immune. This finding, which observational evidence supports, should help astronomers better understand the structure and evolution of alien solar systems?across the galaxy, researchers said.

"The fact that planets observed within wide binaries tend to have more eccentric (or 'excited') orbits than those around isolated stars tells us that wide binaries do often disrupt planetary systems," lead author Nathan Kaib, of Northwestern University and the University of Toronto, told SPACE.com via email. [The Strangest Alien Planets (Gallery)]

"Thus, we believe most planetary systems are extended, with outer planets orbiting at tens of AU from their host stars," Kaib added. (One AU, or astronomical unit, equals the distance from Earth to the sun ? about 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers.)

The study was published today (Jan. 6) in the journal Nature and will be presented by Kaib at the 221st meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday (Jan. 7).

Shifting stellar orbits?

Two-star systems occur commonly throughout our galaxy; indeed, astronomers think the Milky Way harbors about as many binary systems as single stars. Recently, astronomers have begun discovering planets in binary systems, some of them "Tatooine" worlds?with two suns in their skies, like Luke Skywalker's home planent in the "Star Wars" films.

Many double-star systems throughout the galaxy are wide binaries, in which 1,000 AU or more separate the stellar companions on average.

The distance between stars in a wide binary often changes dramatically over time, however, since their orbits around a common center of mass can be far from circular.

"The stellar orbits of wide binaries are very sensitive to disturbances from other passing stars as well as the tidal field of the?Milky Way," Kaib said in a statement. "This causes their stellar orbits to constantly change their eccentricity, their degree of circularity. If a wide binary lasts long enough, it eventually will find itself with a very high orbital eccentricity at some point in its life.?

Eccentric orbits bring the two stars quite close together from time to time, even if the wide binary has a large average separation distance. And these close encounters can wreak havoc on planetary systems, the researchers found after performing about 3,000 computer simulations.?

In one set of runs, for example, the team added a wide-binary companion to our own solar system. In nearly half of the simulations, at least one giant planet ? Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus or Neptune ? got booted out into space.

Signficant orbital disruption generally takes hundreds of millions or billions of years to manifest, Kaib and his colleagues calculated.

"Consequently, planets in these systems initially form and evolve as if they orbited an isolated star," Kaib said. "It is only much later that they begin to feel the effects of their companion star, which often times leads to disruption of the planetary system."

Shedding light on extrasolar systems

Such destabilization, which is more dramatic in wide binaries than in more tightly orbiting two-star systems, does not always take the form of planetary ejection. Often, exoplanets just get tugged from their orginal, near-circular orbits into more eccentric ones, the simulations showed.

The researchers also looked at orbital eccentricities of actual exoplanets. The team found that planets in wide binaries have more eccentric orbits than worlds that circle single stars, suggesting the computer models are on the money.

"The eccentric planetary orbits seen in these systems are essentially scars from past disruptions caused by the companion star," co-author Sean Raymond, of the University of Bordeaux and the National Center for Scientific Research in France, said in a statement.

The team's computer simulations further suggest that these disruptions generally happen only in planetary systems that extend at least 10 AU or so from the host star.

Taken together, the observational and modeling results imply that many extrasolar systems harbor distantly orbiting worlds, though such planets are tough for astronomers to detect at the moment, researchers said.

"Given that most planet-detection campaigns cannot detect planets beyond 5-10 AU from their host stars, our results provide new clues about the characteristics of planetary systems in a regime that is poorly constrained by current observations," Kaib told SPACE.com. "We believe that planets orbiting at distances of 10 AU or further from their host stars are common."

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall?or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook?and?Google+.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/double-star-systems-dangerous-exoplanets-191252268.html

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Your medical chart may soon log exercise, too

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By LINDSEY TANNER , Associated Press

Roll up a sleeve for the blood pressure cuff. Stick out a wrist for the pulse-taking. Lift your tongue for the thermometer. Report how many minutes you are active or getting exercise.?

Wait, what?

If the last item isn't part of the usual drill at your doctor's office, a movement is afoot to change that. One recent national survey indicated only a third of Americans said their doctors asked about or prescribed physical activity.

Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurance plans, made a big push a few years ago to get its southern California doctors to ask patients about exercise. Since then, Kaiser has expanded the program across California and to several other states. Now almost 9 million patients are asked at every visit, and some other medical systems are doing it, too.

Here's how it works: During any routine check of vital signs, a nurse or medical assistant asks how many days a week the patient exercises and for how long. The number of minutes per week is posted along with other vitals at the top the medical chart. So it's among the first things the doctor sees.

"All we ask our physicians to do is to make a comment on it, like, 'Hey, good job,' or 'I noticed today that your blood pressure is too high and you're not doing any exercise. There's a connection there. We really need to start you walking 30 minutes a day,'" said Dr. Robert Sallis, a Kaiser family doctor. He hatched the vital sign idea as part of a larger initiative by doctors groups.

He said Kaiser doctors generally prescribe exercise first, instead of medication, and for many patients who follow through that's often all it takes.

It's a challenge to make progress. A study looking at the first year of Kaiser's effort showed more than a third of patients said they never exercise.

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/10/15821782-our-plates-are-killing-us...

Sallis said some patients may not be aware that research shows physical inactivity is riskier than high blood pressure, obesity and other health risks people know they should avoid. As recently as November a government-led study concluded that people who routinely exercise live longer than others, even if they're overweight.

Zendi Solano, who works for Kaiser as a research assistant in Pasadena, Calif., says she always knew exercise was a good thing. But until about a year ago, when her Kaiser doctor started routinely measuring it, she "really didn't take it seriously."

She was obese, and in a family of diabetics, had elevated blood sugar. She sometimes did push-ups and other strength training but not anything very sustained or strenuous.

Solano, 34, decided to take up running and after a couple of months she was doing three miles. Then she began training for a half marathon ? and ran that 13-mile race in May in less than three hours. She formed a running club with co-workers and now runs several miles a week. She also started eating smaller portions and buying more fruits and vegetables.

She is still overweight but has lost 30 pounds and her blood sugar is normal.

Her doctor praised the improvement at her last physical in June and Solano says the routine exercise checks are "a great reminder."

Kaiser began the program about three years ago after 2008 government guidelines recommended at least 2 1/2 hours of moderately vigorous exercise each week. That includes brisk walking, cycling, lawn-mowing ? anything that gets you breathing a little harder than normal for at least 10 minutes at a time.

A recently published study of nearly 2 million people in Kaiser's southern California network found that less than a third met physical activity guidelines during the program's first year ending in March 2011. That's worse than results from national studies. But promoters of the vital signs effort think Kaiser's numbers are more realistic because people are more likely to tell their own doctors the truth.

Dr. Elizabeth Joy of Salt Lake City has created a nearly identical program and she expects 300 physicians in her Intermountain Healthcare network to be involved early this year.

"There are some real opportunities there to kind of shift patients' expectations about the value of physical activity on health," Joy said.

NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago's northern suburbs plans to start an exercise vital sign program this month, eventually involving about 200 primary care doctors.

Dr. Carrie Jaworski, a NorthShore family and sports medicine specialist, already asks patients about exercise. She said some of her diabetic patients have been able to cut back on their medicines after getting active.

Dr. William Dietz, an obesity expert who retired last year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said measuring a patient's exercise regardless of method is essential, but that "naming it as a vital sign kind of elevates it."

Figuring out how to get people to be more active is the important next step, he said, and could have a big effect in reducing medical costs.

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Source: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/06/16380818-your-medical-chart-may-soon-log-exercise-too?lite

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Minh and Julie Ho ? Talk Fusion Top Earner Interview

Minh and Julie Ho Talk Fusion Interview

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Minh and Julie Ho are Royal Blue Diamonds in Talk Fusion, and the Nr. 1 Top Earners. They reside in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Their team has hundreds of thousands of people in 143 countries and their estimated earnings are topping $4 million in Talk Fusion career earnings.

Minh and Julie have a story to share:? "From Dead Broke to Multiple 7 Figure- Lifestyle in less than 2 years with a family of 7 kids and 4 grandkids?

Minh and Julie stated:

Looking back over the past 2 years, we had only 2 pennies left in our pocket and a sheriff at our door.? Due to the recession we lost everything?.our mortgage business, a 5 figure monthly income, financial security, ability to pay our bills, and even our cars.

Network marketing was a miracle for us because we were able to pay outstanding past due bills and put money into savings and retirement accounts, which we haven?t had in 10 years.

Ted Nuyten has the honor to interview Minh and Julie Ho.

Minh and Julie, how did you got involved into the Network Marketing, who invite you?

We have been involved in the Direct Selling, Relationship Marketing, and Network Marketing business for over 20 years off and on.? Once we saw the power of leveraging our time and effort by using this business model, we fell in love with the model

How did you learn about Talk Fusion, who sponsored you?

We were in the mortgage business and a friend shared with us these amazing video email products.? We knew this would be great marketing tools to stay in touch with clients and build a relationship with potential clients.? Julie and I used the video email products to keep in touch with our clients and send them personal messages. We built a personal connection with them because they could hear and see us in a video email.

During the holidays, we always sent everyone a special message thanking them for their business and asking them for repeat business.? This relationship building helped us gain their trust over our competition.? In the past, I would send out postcards with our family picture on it to connect with clients.? With the use of the Video Emails and Video Newsletters, we could speak directly to consumers and connect to their hearts.? I call it High Tech and High Touch.

Minh and Julie Ho - Talk Fusion Check

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What attracted you in the business model, why did you decide to put your time and efforts in?

What attracted us to this business model was the T.E.A.M. concept (Together Everyone Accomplishes More) and Instant Pay.? So many people are hurting financially all over the World and with Instant Pay people can take care of problems immediately. Once a sale has been made you get paid Instantly (within 3 minutes).? I remember one day Julie was on her way to work on the freeway in rush hour traffic and she ran out of gas.? I got on the phone and made a sale.? I waited 3 minutes and got the notification of $25 being loaded onto my debit card.? I ran down to 7 Eleven to the ATM and got the cash.?

I immediately went to the gas station and got $10 worth of gas (it was $5 per gallon) and I used the other $15 to buy food for Julie and I.? No other Company pays Instantly and there are times when you just can?t wait for money.? The other attraction is the TEAM concept.? You are working with a TEAM and by working together, everyone makes money faster and more consistently.? We are like a huge family and we make sure we are always there to help each other out.? No one gets left behind.

You were broke when you started, was that your "burning desire"?

Yes. Julie and I were in the mortgage industry and when the recession and financial crisis hit, we lost everything, practically overnight.? Our income stopped and we had nowhere to go.? The sheriff came and put a 72 hour eviction notice on our door.? We had no choice but to get rid of all the distractions and get laser focused.

We invited people to our presentation and then followed up with a 3-way call.? Julie and I worked 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.? We listed all of our bills and started to knock them down 1 by 1.? Before we knew it, we were building our business in different countries and helping people all over the World.? Julie and I noticed that people in different countries were experiencing the same thing we experienced and when we showed them Talk Fusion, it gave them ?HOPE?.?

After talking to thousands of people from all over the World, the one thing people are truly searching for is HOPE.? With Talk Fusion, we give them more than ?hope?; we give them the chance to succeed!

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How did you build such an impressive team, what is your "secret"?

Hard Work. There is no secret.? We treat Talk Fusion as any other business.? Julie and I get up every morning and work hard each and every day.? If you work part time, you will earn part time pay.?

The same is true if you work full time.? August 1, 2012 was our 2 year anniversary.? We are working just as hard today as we did the first day we started.? If we don?t work, our business doesn?t grow.? In fact, we are working harder now than when we first started because we are helping people in different countries all over the World.? While America is sleeping, we are helping our International team members.

What techniques have you found to be successful in recruiting others?

The biggest factor in successful recruiting is letting people know they won?t be left alone once they join.? People get excited about joining, but then they get scared because they feel they don?t have all of the answers.?

Our 4 Step System to Success eliminates these fears because we help new enrollees invite others to a professional presentation and we are there for follow up 3-way calls as their up-line to help them enroll and be part of the Team. In reality, new enrollees don?t have to present or sell. They simply invite.? We are here to help them every step of the way.

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What is the size of your team and earnings, is your team in the USA only or in many countries?

In a little over two years, we have built an organization consisting of hundreds of thousands of people in 143 countries and growing.? We have team members in countries such as: Japan, Asia, Russia, Hungary, Poland, England, Canada, Latin America, Germany, Croatia, and many more.?

In less than two years, Julie and I have created a multiple 7- Figure Lifestyle.? We have helped several people in different countries create the same type of lifestyle! We?re helping associates reaching up to 300 Diamonds in our business and up to 100 individual qualified to drive a brand new Mercedes Benz from the company?imagine that!?

2013 & 2014 will have many thousands of Diamonds and many hundreds more qualified to drive a Mercedes paid by the company.

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How do you overcome objections?

The biggest cause for objection is fear.? We demonstrate how powerful the products are for personal and business use and then show people how we work as a team.? This almost always eliminates any fears and objections.? Julie and I have been through a lot over the past several years and can relate to almost everyone?s personal situation.?

We simply share our story and show the results we have achieved over the past two years with Talk Fusion.? We aren?t asking anyone to do anything we wouldn?t do.? So partner with us!

What are your plans for the future?

Julie and I plan to spend the next few years traveling the World and helping as many people as possible build a successful Talk Fusion business and help them reach their Dreams and Goals.? We have only scratched the surface.? We want to help Bob Reina, CEO Talk Fusion create as many millionaires as possible over the next several years.

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Do you have a few tips for a "Newbie" in MLM

Get laser focused, eliminate all excuses, distractions, limiting beliefs and treat the opportunity like a business.? If you want full-time pay, you have to work full-time hours.? With Talk Fusion, you will be working full-time with a T.E.A.M. which will help ensure success. ?

Some of Julie and my favorite quotes are:

  • ?If you don?t like where you?re heading?change it?- Bob Reina CEO Talk Fusion
  • ?Our most significant opportunities will be found in times of greatest difficulty.? ? Thomas S. Monson.
  • ?If you have to ask if you?ve done enough, you haven?t. Each day brings with it the opportunity to do more than you did yesterday.? Proverb
  • ?Strength doesn?t come from what you can do?it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn?t? ? Anonymous

In closing we?d like to say: We want to Thank Bob Reina, Talk Fusion CEO for the Opportunity, his VISION and his AMAZING foresight.

Bob Reina has INSPIRED us to turn the IMPOSSIBLE into POSSIBLE!? Thank You Allison Roberts, VP of Training & Development and your Staff for the incredible support we receive each and every day. Julie and I feel we?ve made a difference in other people?s lives in 143 countries and growing by simply sharing the Talk Fusion Opportunity.?

It has given us the chance of a lifetime to be able to ?Pay It Forward?..smiley

Contact information Minh and Julie Ho

www.TalkFusionTOPGUNS.com

Email: Info@TalkFusionTopGuns.com

Skype:? GoBlueDiamond

Talk Fusion Income Disclaimer:

Any earnings portrayed in any Talk Fusion marketing materials are not necessarily representative of the income, if any, that a Talk Fusion Associate can or will earn through his or her participation in the Talk Fusion Compensation Plan. All references to income, implied or stated, throughout the Talk Fusion Compensation Plan are for illustrative purposes only. These figures should not be considered as guarantees or projections of your actual earnings or profits. Talk Fusion does NOT guarantee any level of income or earnings to any Associate; any representation or guarantee of earnings would be misleading.

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Source: http://www.businessforhome.org/2013/01/minh-and-julie-ho-talk-fusion-top-earner-interview/

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The REAL Reason Barnes & Noble is Failing ? TeleRead: News and ...

My esteemed editor, Dan, posed a question today, after processing B&N?s recent holiday sales stats: Why IS Barnes & Noble failing so badly? After reading their Christmas-season sales numbers, nobody can deny that their sales are not what they could be? Why?

With all due respect to Dan, who I think is a fabulous guy, I think the answer is a lot more straightforward than he might think. It?s not about sales metrics, or marketing techniques, or any complicated analysis I think he was seeking. The answer is simple: It?s because the world has more non-Americans than Americans, and Barnes & Noble has always been curiously hostile to the non-American.

I know that B&N, at last, launched a UK store last year. So, that?s ? two countries they sell to now? Not to minimize the importance of my friends across the pond by any means, but that?s still a tiny fraction of the market. And it?s not just the e-books, either. They won?t even let you register a device with them?even if you swear not to try and buy books for it?unless you register an American credit card and an American address with them.

Think about that for a second. I, like many Canadians, live less than two hours from the U.S. border. The Beloved and I enjoy a little jaunt to Niagara Falls once in awhile. I think we went three times last year. And you know what? The folks on the American side were happy to see us. There was no pesky exchange rate to worry about; we have credit cards. And the Americans were more than pleased to accept them. We went out for breakfast. We bought T-shirts and shoes and video games. I bought a very nice cupcake at an adorable little shop on our way home. We had a grand ol? time. And nobody ever suggested to us that we couldn?t wear the shoes again once we were back in Canada. Nobody ever told us we had to be American to eat the cupcakes?

Now, compare that?to the?Barnes & Noble experience. They are losing my business on two fronts. First, there is the loss leader issue?Amazon has all but admitted that it?sells the?Kindle pretty much at cost, because the company know that once you have one, you?ll want to buy books for it. Barnes & Noble has closed off that channel. Though even if I did want to live with that and side-load forever, I?d still find features locked out to me, because B&N won?t even let you run the machine unless you have that all-important U.S. (or UK) billing address.

And then they closed the Fictionwise store. My American sister had the option of transfering her books over to a Barnes & Noble account, and as a happy side effect, they even offered to convert them all to EPUB for her. She had some clunky PDB-format stuff that is now shiny new EPUB. And me?I?ve bought four times as many books as she has, and I get nothing but an email telling me to download and back up all my books by a certain date before I lose access to them forever.

And you?re wondering why they?re failing? Could it possibly be any clearer?

When I wrote a few weeks ago about looking ahead to 2013, I predicted that this is finally going to be the year the international e-book market matures to its full potential. I think B&N?s abysmal holiday sales numbers prove my point. The book market is already a threatened one. It?s competing with music, movies, apps, video games. People have more entertainment options than ever before, and a good chunk of it can be accessed from their phones, tablets and computers. The last thing a threatened market needs to be doing is turning away people with credit cards and itchy ?buy now? fingers.

I guess the one good thing about B&N?s reluctance to take my money is that I have more of it to spend with other vendors. Anyone want to recommend a nice brunch place in Buffalo that would be happy to sell a nice breakfast to two lovely Canucks and their credit cards?

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Source: http://www.teleread.com/barnes-noble/the-real-reason-barnes-noble-is-failing/

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