Extended Stay In New Orleans - Americans Have Rebuilt Less Than Half Of Wealth Lost To The Recession, Study Says

Source - http://www.washingtonpost.com/
By - Ylan Q. Mui
Category - Extended Stay In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Extended Stay In New Orleans

American households have rebuilt less than half of the wealth lost during the recession, leaving them without the spending power to fuel a robust economic recovery, according to a new analysis from the Federal Reserve.

From the peak of the boom to the bottom of the bust, households watched a total of $16 trillion in wealth disappear amid sinking stock prices and the rubble of the real estate market. Since then, Americans have only been able to recapture 45 percent of that amount on average, after adjusting for inflation and population growth, according to the report from the St. Louis Fed released Thursday.

In addition, the report showed most of the improvement was due to gains in the stock market, which primarily benefit wealthy families. That means the recovery for other households has been even weaker.

“A conclusion that the financial damage of the crisis and recession largely has been repaired is not justified,” the report stated.

The study is part of a growing body of research on the role of household wealth — or lack thereof — in amplifying the impact of the recession and slowing the rate of recovery. Traditionally, economists and policymakers have focused on the effects of employment and income. But the report from the St. Louis Fed argued that swings in household balance sheets — which include home values, stock prices, savings and debt — were critical in determining which families weathered the financial storm and which got swept away.

The report found that the most fragile households were not well educated, relatively young or black or Hispanic, or some combination of those characteristics. Those families tended to have low savings combined with high debt and accrued much of their wealth through housing.

How those households respond to the changes in wealth is a critical component of the recovery. Top officials, including Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, have pointed to the rebound in real estate and the soaring stock market as evidence of the success of the central bank’s policies.

The Fed is spending $85 billion a month to lower long-term interest rates and stimulate the economy. It has also kept short-term interest rates to near zero. That has helped push stock markets to record highs, while home prices have jumped by the most in seven years. Consumer confidence is at its highest point since February 2008. Officials hope those factors will eventually result in more consumer spending power.

“I think we’re at an inflection point,” said Beth Ann Bovino, senior economist at Standard & Poor’s. “We’re seeing things turn around. And that’s where the optimism comes in among households.”

But research by noted economists Karl Case, John Quigley and Robert Shiller found the households were more powerful affected by declines in wealth than increases. An unexpected 1 percent drop in housing prices caused a permanent 0.1 percent decrease in spending, that study found. But a similar 1 percent rise in housing prices boosted consumer spending by only 0.03 percent.

“Rising wealth is gratifying, but the loss of wealth is terrifying,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys.com. “Households spend somewhat more freely as their nest eggs grow, but they slash their spending when their nest eggs shrink.”

William Emmons, chief economist for at the St. Louis Fed’s new Center for Household Financial Stability, said that many of the most vulnerable households began to treat credit as another form of income during the boom. After the bust, they were forced to dramatically rethink their finances, resulting in more cautious spending.

Emmons said many families have not experienced any recovery — or are even still losing wealth. Young Americans, those with few skills or are unemployed may not have been able to rebuild any wealth. He noted that though the number of foreclosures has dropped significantly, it is still more than double the pre-crisis amount.

Meanwhile, he estimated that recent gains in the stock market mean that the recovery of wealth is nearly complete for white and Asian households and older Americans.

Wealth accumulation not only impacts families’ current financial status but also their prospects for future economic success. The St. Louis Fed report points to studies that connect savings to the likelihood of attending and completing college and economic mobility.

“Balance sheets matter in ways that income alone does not,” said Ray Boshara, head of the center.

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel - Nissan, Other Brands Suspend Facebook Ads Over Offensive Content

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/
By - Zach Miners
Category - New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel

Nissan and some other big brands have suspended advertising campaigns on Facebook after ads were apparently displayed next to offensive content on the site.

The campaigns were put on hold in the U.K. just as Facebook rolled out new policies to help it more quickly identify and remove hate speech and other forms of offensive content on its site.

Those changes were announced Tuesday following calls for action from groups including Women, Action and the Media and the Everyday Sexism Project, which pointed to images posted on Facebook that encourage or make jokes about violence against women.

The Japanese carmaker Nissan, the U.K.’s Nationwide Building Society and Unilever’s Dove brand all were concerned about their ads being displayed next to such content, according to a report in the Financial Times.

A Nissan spokesman told IDG News Service it had no proof its ads had appeared alongside offensive content, “but we are working with Facebook to ensure any future advertisements can’t follow users into pages that may be deemed offensive,” said Nissan spokesman David Reuter.

The company acted quickly to halt an advertising campaign in the U.K. when the situation came to light, Reuter said.

Nissan hasn’t made any changes to its advertising in the U.S., but “we will continue to work with [Facebook] to ensure that we can opt out of advertising on any pages that may be deemed offensive,” Reuter said.

Several of the changes made to Facebook’s content policies include soliciting feedback from outside experts to better evaluate reports of hateful speech.

The way the site classifies what is offensive and what is not is somewhat complicated. The site prohibits content deemed to be “directly harmful,” but is okay with content that is merely offensive or controversial. The company defines harmful content as “anything organizing real world violence, theft, or property destruction, or that directly inflicts emotional distress on a specific private individual (e.g. bullying).”

Specific content categories, such as self-harm, sadistic graphic content and pornography, are listed in Facebook’s community standards.

The site does not permit hate speech, “but distinguishes between serious and humorous speech,” according to its community standards. “There are instances of offensive content, including distasteful humor, that are not hate speech according to our definition,” Facebook says.

But hate speech in the form of “direct and serious attacks on any protected category of people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or disease” is prohibited, as outlined in the company’s statement of rights and responsibilities.

Women, Action and the Media is one of the groups Facebook is bringing in to assist the company in evaluating its standards around hate speech. The Boston-based group has reacted positively to Facebook’s new strategies.

Suites In New Orleans - Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease: First Vaccine

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - James Gallagher
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

Suites In New Orleans

The first vaccine which protects children against hand, foot and mouth disease has been reported by scientists in China.

The infection causes a rash and painful blisters, but in some cases results in brain infections which can be fatal.

A trial involving 10,000 children, published in the Lancet, showed the vaccine was 90% effective against one virus which causes the disease.

It does not protect against other viruses that result in the disease.

Viruses can cause large outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease. In 2009, there was an outbreak in China involving 1.2 million people. Nearly 14,000 people had severe complications and 353 people died.

Groups of researchers in Jiangsu province and Beijing tested a vaccine made from a deactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71), which causes the disease.

Two jabs were given to children between six and 35 months old. They prevented 90% of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease caused by EV71.

"Infection with EV71 is of particular concern because it can cause severe disease and even death in children. The EV71 vaccine could help prevent hospital admissions and severe cases," the researchers said.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by many other viruses, such as Coxsackievirus A16 and even other strains of EV71, so this vaccine could not eliminate the disease.

The researchers themselves warn that: "The EV71 vaccine might have little part in reducing the overall incidence of HFMD, even by universal mass immunisation of children."

Commenting on the research, Dr Nigel Crawford and Dr Steve Graham, both from the University of Melbourne, said the vaccine was tailored to the predominant strain in China.

"The major effect of this vaccine will be to reduce hospital admission, which is an important result of many vaccines.

"The next step is to assess the appropriateness of including an EV71 vaccine in China's national immunisation programme."
  

Aquariums In New Orleans - Teens quitting Facebook in favor of Other Social Networks

Source - http://www.stableytimes.com/
By - Phil Moore
Category - Aquariums In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Aquariums In New Orleans

Facebook use among teenagers is in decline while teen usage of social networks in general continues to rise, as they find their way to less popular sites like Tumblr and Twitter instead. While Facebook is still by far the most popular social site among underage users, its loss of steam as indicated in a Pew study points to kids wanting to find a way to rebel against their parents while also being able to carry out online socializing with their friends without their parents being able to virtually watch from Facebook accounts of their own.

Tumblr users are known to say that the first rule of Tumblr is you never acknowledge the site’s existence on any other social network or website, so as it to keep it an underground secret. That went out the window when Yahoo announced it was acquiring the site, but its mostly younger user base will still be able to conduct their business with each other without their Facebook-using parents necessarily being aware of it. In addition to practical concerns about having their posts monitored by their parents, teens are also able to rebel against them by skipping out on the social network their parents have embraced.

So what can Facebook do to buck this trend? Short of acquiring one of the competing social networks increasingly favored by teens, very little. It seems Facebook is becoming a victim of its own massive popularity. With nearly everyone having joined Facebook, those teens who want to virtually socialize with any degree of privacy have no choice but to do so elsewhere.

Hotel Reservations New Orleans - European Stocks Claw Back Ground As Markets Steady

Source - Homewood Suites New Orleans
By - Marc Jones
Category - Hotel Reservations New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Hotel Reservations New Orleans

Last week's shakeout of equity, bond and currency markets was triggered by concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve could wind in its support sooner that had been expected, weak China data and doubts over how low Japan will allow the yen to go.

With UK and U.S. markets both closed for public holidays, European equity and bond markets saw a quieter than usual start to the week.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares started up 0.3 percent as last week's falls tempted buyers, while demand for safe-haven 10-year German government bond futures eased.

The dollar was also steadier, though it dipped to 101.00 against the yen as the latest steep fall in Japanese equities saw investors continue to unwind their dollar hedges and head for bonds. The euro was little changed at $1.2940.

"Markets are currently experiencing difficulty fully and precisely understanding both the pace of global growth and the implications of central banks' activism," Credit Agricole said in a note.

"Expectations cannot remain stable for long and so investors should be prepared for periods of higher volatility in particular asset classes," they added.

In commodity markets, Brent crude slipped towards $102 per barrel, extending last week's 2 percent drop, as a weak economic outlook in a well-supplied market pressured prices. The broader market nerves also helped gold firm as it looked to build on last week's best run in a month.

Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues - Obama Judicial Nominee Wins Easy Confirmation

Source - http://www.latimes.com/
By - David G. Savage
Category - Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues

Deputy Solicitor Gen. Sri Srinivasan, a rising star in legal circles, won an easy and unanimous Senate confirmation Thursday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, giving President Obama his first appointee to a conservative-leaning court that decides major regulatory disputes.

Srinivasan, 46, who was born in India and grew up in Lawrence, Kan., was praised as being exceptionally smart, highly qualified and even-tempered. Republicans said they had no hesitance in approving Srinivasan, unlike other Obama nominees. And some Democrats raised the prospect that he could be a future nominee to the Supreme Court.

He won confirmation on a 97-0 vote.

"We may be seeing him coming before the Senate again soon," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Since graduating from Stanford Law School in 1995, Srinivasan has worked as a clerk at the Supreme Court for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, worked as a government attorney in both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations and practiced law at O'Melveny & Myers in Washington.

In his best-known case, Srinivasan argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of former Enron chief Jeffrey K. Skilling in the appeal of his criminal conviction for fraud. By a 9-0 vote, the court agreed Skilling was wrongly convicted for denying the company his "honest services," but it upheld the other charges against him.

Two years ago, Srinivasan was appointed deputy solicitor general, working in the Justice Department office that represents the administration in the Supreme Court.

During Obama's first term, he was unable to put a judge on the D.C. Circuit court. His first nominee, New York attorney Caitlin Halligan, originally nominated in 2010 and then renominated in 2012 along with Srinivasan, was blocked by Republicans who cited her work on a state suit against gun manufacturers.

He will join a court that has four judges appointed by Republicans and three by Democrats. But the court also has four senior judges who were named by President Reagan in the 1980s, and they continue to participate in many cases.

By law, the D.C. Circuit is authorized to have 11 full-time judges, and Democrats were insistent on breaking the logjam that has kept seats vacant.

"It's sort of a lodestone of the hard right to make sure they control the D.C. Circuit," Schumer said at a news conference before the vote. "The sad fact is, even when we confirm Mr. Srinivasan, the all-important D.C. Circuit will still have three vacancies."

But Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) fired back and blamed Democrats for the "shenanigans" over the court nominees. "The fact of the matter is there is no obstruction, and the other side knows it," he said. He said the Senate had confirmed 99% of Obama's court nominees that have come to a vote.

Nationwide, 82 judicial seats are vacant, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Obama has 24 nominees pending.
 

Accommodation In New Orleans - Samsung Sells Over 10 Million Galaxy S4 Smartphones In First Month

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/
By - John Ribeiro
Category - Accommodation In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Accommodation In New Orleans

Samsung Electronics has reported global channel sales of over 10 million units of the Galaxy S4 in less than a month after its global launch.

The new smartphone from the Samsung stable has outstripped its predecessors in first-month sales.

The GALAXY S III reached the 10 million mark 50 days after its launch in 2012, while the GALAXY S II took five months and the GALAXY S seven months to reach the milestone, Samsung said.

The device is now available in over 110 countries and will gradually be rolled out to a total of 155 countries in tandem with partners, Samsung said Thursday.

The Galaxy S4 features a 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with 441 pixels per inch, and a dual camera function that allows simultaneous use of both front and rear cameras, besides software such as Air View and  Air Gesture that aim to simplify interaction with the phone including through hand gestures.

Samsung is also planning to introduce more color variations of the device. In addition to the currently available White Mist and Black Forest, new color iterations will be added this summer, including Blue Arctic and Red Aurora, followed by Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn, the company said.

The South Korean vendor had a 30.8 percent share of the smartphone market in the first quarter to Apple's 18.2 percent, research firm Gartner said.

Samsung is also making profits from its Android smartphone sales, and captured a 95 percent share of all Android smartphone profits in the first quarter, research firm Strategy Analytics said earlier this month. Global Android smartphone profits reached US$5 billion in total during the first quarter of 2013, and accounted for 43 percent share of the entire smartphone industry's operating profits, it added.

The success of the Galaxy S4 has not gone unnoticed by its competitors. Apple has filed to a court in California that the smartphone infringes on five of its patents. The company aims to add the Galaxy S4 to an ongoing case involving Apple and Samsung being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division.

Budget Hotel In New Orleans - Dog Owners Tend To Have Healthier Hearts

Source - http://www.sfgate.com/
By - Kathryn Roethel
Category - Budget Hotel In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Budget Hotel In New Orleans

Owning pets - especially dogs - is a good way to keep a healthy heart. That's according to the American Heart Association, whose researchers point out that dog owners were likely to get the recommended amount of weekly exercise. But the scientists can't say for sure which came first: the dog or the walk.

"It may be simply that healthier people are the ones that have pets, not that having a pet actually leads to or causes reduction in cardiovascular risk," head researcher Dr. Glenn N. Levine said in an American Heart Association statement in this month's journal Circulation.

Levine and his team reviewed several studies on the health of pet owners and found that they generally had lower levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity, and often responded better to stress. One study of more than 5,200 adults found that dog owners were 54 percent more likely than non-dog owners to meet weekly recommended levels of exercise.

By the way, the CDC suggests 150 minutes of brisk walking or 75 minutes of running each week for most Americans.

"In essence, data suggest that there probably is an association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk," Levine said in the statement. But he added that people shouldn't adopt a pet solely to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Affordable Hotels In New Orleans - Here Comes The Thinner, Lighter iPad?

Source - http://news.cnet.com/
By - Brooke Crothers
Category - Affordable Hotels In New Orleans 
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Affordable Hotels In New Orleans

A full-size iPad that gets closer to the lean design of the iPad Mini may finally be on the way.

Production of the fifth-generation iPad is slated to begin in July, according to a report from Taipei-based Digitimes.

The new 9.7-inch iPad will be 25 percent to 33 percent lighter than the iPad 4, Digitimes said.

The report echoes information supplied to CNET in April by NPD DisplaySearch.

 Specifically, the 2,048x1,536 pixel-density Retina display (same pixel density as the iPad 4) will have thinner glass -- achieved by using new touch sensor technology -- and, most importantly, a less bulky backlight apparatus, according to Digitimes.

NPD DisplaySearch told CNET in April that "part of the thinner/lighter design will be reducing the size of the LED backlight, partly by making the display more efficient and partly by using more efficient LEDs." DisplaySearch also cited the likely shift to a "a film-based touch sensor."

The third- and fourth-generation iPads gained heft and thickness -- compared with the iPad 2 -- due mostly to technologies supporting the Retina display, including a relatively large backlight assembly.

Monthly shipments of the "iPad 5" are expected to ramp up to 2 million to 3 million units by September, said Digitimes, citing sources in the supply chain.

Suites In Downtown New Orleans - Cannes Taps Into The Power Of Nostalgia To Fight TV And Rival Festivals

Source - http://www.guardian.co.uk/
By - Vanessa Thorpe
Category - Suites In Downtown New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In Downtown New Orleans

When Carey Mulligan ditches the Tiffany spangles and Prada sequins of The Great Gatsby, in favour of a baggy jumper and the dingy folk music venues she favours in her role in the new Coen brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis, it could be seen as a comment on this year's Cannes film festival.

Playing the unfussy singer Jean Berkey straight after her bejewelled portrayal of Daisy Buchanan, the actress appeared to have deliberately cast off the baubles and artifice that hang around the annual 12-day cinematic bonanza on the Côte D'Azur. And this year, the festival's 66th outing on Boulevard de la Croisette, the glittery trappings have strained more than ever to deliver the glamour the waiting world expects.

Conspicuous excess is de rigueur at Cannes and visiting stars fail to dazzle at their peril. Not only are they draped with itemised haute couture and exorbitant trinkets, their fans are also later informed what de luxe food they were served at the gala dinners that follow a big premiere. (In the case of Mulligan and her Gatsby co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, it was pea and caviar with a white onion foam, followed by sea bream and an apple, cinnamon and green aniseed bouillon.)

So when news broke this weekend that thieves had made off with a large haul of Chopard gems from a Cannes hotel room, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that someone had decided enough was enough. It is, after all, Chopard that makes the crystal-encrusted Palme D'Or prize which is given to the winning film.

The burglary seemed to be an impromptu reprise of the theme of Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, a subversive response to the consumerism on show. Starring Emma Watson, Coppola's film tells of a gang of no-hope wannabes who break into Paris Hilton's Hollywood home to grab her designer shoes and bags. The festival's obsession with fame will also be nicely undermined by a short French comedy, Merci Beaucoup Bradley Cooper, about an aspiring actress who uses a Cooper lookalike as an escort to fake her way into the VIP realm at Cannes.

Rather more serious challenges to Cannes are being mounted by rival international film festivals, such as Venice, Berlin and particularly Toronto. The French festival's conventional weapons are its unabashed displays of high living coupled with potent doses of nostalgia. In an age of global austerity, in which France dipped back gently into recession last week, this nostalgia is being more readily deployed.

On the opening day of the festival, the mayor of Cannes struggled in the drizzle to unveil a vast poster on the side of a building in the old harbour. The white cover sheet, clingy with rainwater, refused to pull away until an official jumped up and down on a rope like a bell ringer. Then the face of Uma Thurman, a Cannes jury member two years ago, was finally revealed in beguiling monochrome.

Every May, the streets of this slightly shabby conference town are festooned with images of screen idols of the past: Marilyn, Sophia, Bridget, Faye and now Uma. Harking back to bygone eras is an essential part of the culture.

Critics frequently say that Cannes is not what it was; the films are too violent, the pavements too crowded, the partying that once started at 10am on the beach has disappeared. Some of this is certainly true. Since big sponsors such as Fuji and Kodak, the film stock companies, left town, promotional entertaining on a grand scale has gone and the yachts owned by post-production houses have largely weighed anchor, too. These days, it is hard for a tourist to get really excited by the sight of a red carpet since they lie in the doorways of most of the town's gift shops, muddy and pocked with cigarette burns. Cannes has devalued its own currency and now only the past looks chic.

The greatest threat of all comes from television. TV has gained both power and critical kudos and is jeopardising cinema's status as the pre-eminent way to tell popular stories. Lars Blomgren, the producer behind the triumphant Scandinavian crime series The Bridge, told an incredulous festival throng on Friday that he prefers television. "I have always worked in both and I think it is film that will have to change. A lot of creativity has moved over to TV."

Blomgren, who has sold The Bridge to 60 countries, fearlessly added that he prefers Mipcom, the "impressive" annual TV festival in Cannes: "It is more focused and there is less b/s."

Yet those who come in search of real glitz and style may not be disappointed. Helicopters still lift above the big yachts in the bay, bringing in the rich and famous. There may be a McDonald's on the quay now, but there are still authentic old men playing boules in front of it.

For the thousands of tourists who arrive to check whether the stars they see on screen really exist, there is a chance of spotting Watson, Mulligan and her co-star Justin Timberlake, or even Nicole Kidman, who sits on Steven Spielberg's jury panel and was paraded yesterday by producer Harvey Weinstein as the star of his film about the late Queen of the Riviera, Grace of Monaco.

There are intriguing oddities, too. Tomorrow, Keanu Reeves flies in to promote his new martial arts film Man of Tai Chi.

The charm of the festival resides in these strange contrasts. Even at the heart of the competition, Michael Douglas's Liberace biopic will line up against a film from Chad about a disabled dancer, while on the jury alongside the stately Kidman sits the maverick British talent Lynne Ramsay.

Cannes also continues to offer a peerless platform for new projects of all sizes. On Friday, Weinstein swooped to buy up Stephen Frears new film Philomena for $6m. Starring Judi Dench as an Irishwoman looking for the son she was long ago forced to give up for adoption, it is based on a book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith. It also stars Steve Coogan, who co-wrote the screenplay.

Cannes has also worked well for British director Clio Barnard who has won both plaudits and a distribution deal for The Selfish Giant, a retelling of Oscar Wilde's fairy tale to be released this autumn. And yesterday, the festival's critics' week screened one of the few British films to make it to the Croisette – For Those in Peril, by the Scottish first-time feature director Paul Wright. The 31-year old from Lower Largo in Fife is in no doubt about the value of Cannes. "I have had other short films shown at festivals, but your family have all heard of Cannes and are vastly excited," he said.

Wright attended the premiere with his film's star, George Mackay, and is grateful for the opportunity to draw international attention to his small-scale but haunting story about what happens in a fishing village when the fishing stops. "I was brought up on the coast, so stories from the ocean, both real and unreal, were part of my life," he said.

As long as individual film-makers such as Wright have the chance to join the Hollywood machine at the festival, it will have more than just nostalgic worth. And if things start to look a little bit tacky and insubstantial when you get close up, well, that's just showbusiness for you.

Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans - Oldest Water On Earth Found Deep Underground

Source - http://www.foxnews.com/
By - Charles Q. Choi
Category - Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans

A pocket of water some 2.6 billion years old the most ancient pocket of water known by far, older even than the dawn of multicellular life has now been discovered in a mine 2 miles below the Earth's surface.

The finding, announced in the May 16 issue of the journal Nature, raises the tantalizing possibility that ancient life might be found deep underground not only within Earth, but in similar oases that may exist on Mars, the scientists who studied the water said.

Geoscientist Barbara Sherwood Lollar at the University of Toronto and her colleagues have investigated deep mines across the world since the 1980s. Water can flow into fractures in rocks and become isolated deep in the crust for many years, serving as a time capsule of what their environments were like at the time they were sealed off.

In gold mines in South Africa 1.7 miles deep, the scientists previously discovered microbes could survive in pockets of water isolated for tens of millions of years. These reservoirs were many times saltier than seawater, "and had chemistry in many ways similar to hydrothermal vents on the bottom of the ocean, full of dissolved hydrogen and other chemicals capable of supporting life," Sherwood Lollar said. [Strangest Places Where Life Is Found on Earth]

To see what other ancient pockets of water might exist, Sherwood Lollar and her colleagues investigated copper and zinc mines near the city of Timmins in Ontario, Canada. "As the prices of copper, zinc and gold have gone up, mines now go deeper, which has helped our search for long-isolated reservoirs of water hidden underground," Sherwood Lollar said.

'Mind-blowing' find
"Sometimes we went down in cages they're not called elevators underground that dropped us to the levels we wanted to go," Sherwood Lollar told OurAmazingPlanet. "Other times, we went down ramp mines, which have curling spiral roadways, so we could actually drive all the way down."

The scientists analyzed water they found 2 miles deep. They focused on noble gases such as helium, neon, argon and xenon. Past studies analyzing bubbles of air trapped within ancient rocks found that these rare gases could occur in distinct ratios linked with certain eras of Earth's history. As such, by analyzing the ratios of noble gases seen in this water, the researchers could deduce the age of the water.

The scientists discovered the fluids were trapped in the rocks between 1.5 billion and 2.64 billion years ago.

"It was absolutely mind-blowing," Sherwood Lollar said. "These weren't tens of millions of years old like we might have expected, or even hundreds of millions of years old. They were billions of years old."

The site was formed by geological activity similar to that seen in hydrothermal vents. "We walked along what used to be ocean floor 2.7 billion years ago," Sherwood Lollar said. "You could still see some of the same pillow lava structures now seen on the bottom of the ocean."

Signs of life?
This ancient water poured out of the boreholes the team drilled in the mine at the rate of nearly a half-gallon (2 liters) per minute. It remains uncertain precisely how large this reservoir of water is.

"This is an extremely important question and one that we want to pursue in our future work," Sherwood Lollar said. "We also want to see if there are habitable reservoirs of similar age around the world."

Sherwood Lollar emphasized they have not yet found any signs of life in the water from Timmins. "We're working on that right now," she said. "It'd be fascinating to us if we did, since it'd push back the frontiers of how long life could survive in isolation."

And the implications of such a finding would extend beyond the extremes of life on Earth.

"Finding life in this energy-rich water is especially exciting if one thinks of Mars, where there might be water of similar age and mineralogy under the surface," Sherwood Lollar said.

If any life once arose on Mars billions of years ago as it did on Earth, "then it is likely in the subsurface," Sherwood Lollar said. "If we find the water in Timmins can support life, maybe the same might hold true for Mars as well."

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel - BlackBerry Confirms BBM app For Android And iPhone

Source - http://www.guardian.co.uk/
By - Charles Arthur
Category - New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel

BlackBerry is making its Messenger (BBM) real-time messaging service available on Apple's iPhone and iPad and Google's Android platforms from summer, abandoning the platform exclusivity that had for years been a crucial tool in attracting and retaining users.

Announcing the move at the company's developer conference, software vice president Andrew Bocking said: "the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We're excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community."

Chief executive Thorsten Heins called the move "a statement of confidence". BlackBerry says that BBM has more than 60 million monthly active users, with more than 51 million using BBM for an average of 90 minutes per day. Its customers collectively send and receive more than 10bn messages daily, with almost half read within 20 second of being received, it said.

The free app will be available once approved for Apple's iOS 6 software released last year and devices running Android 4.0 or higher, released in late 2011.

BBM was once seen as an iconic messaging system which drew both teenagers and business people onto the BlackBerry platform because messages could only be swapped between its own handsets. But with its installed base of users falling, the company has had to look for ways to generate revenues from its software expertise.

The move pitches BBM into a fight with other cross-platform data-reliant apps - known as "over the top" services - such as WhatsApp, WeChat and Viber. On Apple's iOS, it will put it up against the company's own iMessage app - though that does not work across different platforms.

But BBM is now one of the smallest cross-platform apps, with WhatsApp claiming more than 200 million active users, and WeChat around 190 million.

In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.

BlackBerry says BBM provides customers with a high level of control and privacy over who they add to their contact list and how they engage with them, as invites are two-way opt-in. iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.

Suites In New Orleans - GM to invest $258M In Milford Twp. Data Center

Source - http://www.detroitnews.com/
By - Melissa Burden
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

General Motors Co. said Monday it will spend $258 million to build and equip a new data center at its Milford Proving Ground in Milford Township — one that will back up its new data center at the Warren Tech Center.

In total, GM will spend $546 million on constructing and equipping the two data centers in Milford and Warren, GM Chief Information Officer Randy Mott said. And there is room to expand in Warren, so GM could add to that total in the future, Mott said.

Construction at the proving ground is expected to begin this summer, with an opening targeted for July 2014.

GM said 350 skilled trades workers will be needed at the peak of construction for the Milford data center. The Milford Township data center will create 20 jobs once open, Milford Township Supervisor Donald Green previously told The Detroit News.

The Warren and Milford Township data centers are replacing 23 data centers that GM and three information technology suppliers operate across the globe. The move is part of the automaker's information technology overhaul, which also includes in-sourcing about 90 percent of its information technology work force over the next few years.

GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said GM's competitors on average outsource about 30 to 35 percent of their information technology workload. Mott said when GM is finished with its transformation, he expects GM will have the least outsourced percentage of its competitors.

"Today, every single link of the automotive value chain is wired and connected, and that means from the design to the showroom floor," Akerson said during a news conference at the Warren Tech Center celebrating the opening of that data center. "That's why for any company — not just an automotive manufacturer — to be successful in the 21st century, you have to have a core competency in IT. You have to own it and you have to control it and when you don't, you're at the whim of other companies, their priorities, and if they have financial problems, their difficulties."

Akerson said to win in the auto business, the company must turn information technology into a competitive advantage. "When we're finished, we'll have one of the most robust business applications, software capabilities in the industry and accurate and timely, secure data, imperative for companies in the 21st century," he said.

GM said its proving ground location was chosen because it's more than 25 miles away from its center in Warren, but less than 50 miles away. That allows for "mirrored" data, which would give either facility the same data without an interruption if one goes off line, the company said.

"It's all about reducing risk and making sure no one event would affect both centers at the same time," Curt Loehr, GM information technology project manager, said in a statement. "Each center has its own utility feed using separate paths to provide uninterrupted power. We even checked weather data going back a half century, and Warren and Milford are affected by separate weather patterns."

The News reported Friday that GM received approval from Milford Township late last month on tax breaks worth about $3.2 million for the data center.

GM, which opened up the Warren data center to the media Monday, said the two centers will help the company work faster and smarter. That includes product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and applications for subsidiary OnStar. The first data hall — in which row upon row of servers are housed and cables are snaked under a clear floor — opened in January in Warren; a second data hall will go live in July, GM said.

GM looked at companies such as eBay, Facebook and Google as it developed its data enterprise.

The automaker also showed its Warren innovation center, where more than 700 employees have been hired and are working on a number of software projects, many in open areas to foster collaboration. The center, one of four GM has opened across the U.S., could eventually house 1,500 workers.

GM wants to hire about 9,000 information technology workers over three to five years as it brings most information technology operations in-house.

Mott said that GM has hired about 1,800 information technology workers, plus has hired 2,500 former Hewlett-Packard employees; another 500 workers from Hewlett-Packard have been identified to join GM, the automaker has said.

Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues - Heart Patient Risk From iPad2 Found by 14-Year-Old

Source - http://www.bloomberg.com/
By - Michelle Fay Cortez
Category - Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues

Gianna Chien is somewhat different from all the other researchers reporting on their work today to more than 8,000 doctors at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting.

Chien is 14, and her study -- which found that Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad2 can, in some cases, interfere with life-saving heart devices because of the magnets inside -- is based on a science-fair project that didn’t even win her first place.

The research offers a valuable warning for people with implanted defibrillators, which deliver an electric shock to restart a stopped heart, said John Day, head of heart-rhythm services at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, and chairman of the panel that reviews scientific papers to be presented at the Denver meeting.

If a person falls asleep with the iPad2 on the chest, the magnets in the cover can “accidentally turn off” the heart device, said Chien, a high school freshman in Stockton, California, whose father is a doctor. “I definitely think people should be aware. That’s why I’m presenting the study.”

Defibrillators, as a safety precaution, are designed to be turned off by magnets. The iPad2 uses 30 magnets to hold the iPad2’s cover in place, Chien said. While the iPad2 magnets aren’t powerful enough to cause problems when a person is holding the tablet out in front of the chest, it can be risky to rest it against the body, she found.
Apple Guide

Trudy Muller, an Apple spokeswoman, declined to comment on the study in an e-mail, referring questions about the iPad2’s safety to its online product guide. The guide cautions users about radio frequency interference, suggests that patients with pacemakers keep the iPad at least six inches away and says they should be turned off in health-care facilities when instructed by staff or posted signs.

The study involving 26 volunteers with defibrillators found “magnet mode” was triggered in 30 percent of patients who put the tablet on their chest. The iPad2 didn’t interfere with four pacemakers or a loop-recorder, which were also tested. Walter Chien, a cardiac electrophysiologist, helped his daughter coordinate the patient testing.

Medtronic Inc. (MDT), the leading manufacturer of defibrillators, said its testing hasn’t found any risks from iPad technology when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The Minneapolis-based company does tell patients to avoid placing any magnets near the area where their devices are implanted.

“The presentation at Heart Rhythm 2013 is a good reminder for patients to remain vigilant on new technology and its accessories and maintain a distance of six inches between an iPad and an implanted pacemaker or ICD,” the company said in a statement.
Magnet Switch

Most defibrillators will turn back on once the magnet is no longer affecting the device. Some, however, remain off until the magnet is reapplied or the device is turned back on manually, the younger Chien said. Patients should be told about the risk and doctors should check the devices to see if they have been inadvertently turned off by magnets, she said.

Chien said she received an iPad2 for her birthday in August 2011. She was struck at the time by the number of older customers taking a class on how to use the device at the company store and, given her father’s specialty, wondered if there could be a connection between the iPads and their heart devices.

“I don’t think anyone really knows about the risks,” Chien said.

The results are important because they can help raise awareness of the danger in a very specific setting, said Day, the heart meeting official, in a telephone interview. “Defibrillator patients can still buy Apple products,” he said. “Just don’t put them on your chest.”
Science Talent

A regular at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth, Chien doesn’t see herself becoming a doctor. At the camp, she regularly participates in the writing program and she said that one of her favorite parts of the iPad2 project was summing the results for publication in a medical journal. Eventually, she wants to write a novel, she said.

Chien first presented her results in the San Joaquin County Science Fair’s high school category in March, but the project was beat out for the top spot by work on electromagnetics and on the effect of punctuation mark placement in keyboards on carpal tunnel syndrome.

Suites In Downtown New Orleans - Great Debut for Castro, Woods Solid at Players

Source - http://abcnews.go.com/
By - DOUG FERGUSON
Category - Suites In Downtown New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In Downtown New Orleans

Tiger Woods was nine shots out of the lead, not the best position at The Players Championship, especially since he had not even started his round. Perhaps the bigger surprise was the guy who posted the record-tying round Thursday.

Roberto Castro had only played the TPC Sawgrass in a practice round. He made a debut he won't soon forget.

There was the 9-iron to a foot on the island-green 17th and a 4-iron to about the same tap-in range on the 18th, the hardest hole on the course. He hit a 3-iron to 3 feet for eagle, and twice hit wedge so close he didn't even have to read the putt.

When his memorable day was over, Castro had a 9-under 63 and his name in the record book twice. He tied the course record held by Fred Couples and Greg Norman, and his three-shot lead was the largest margin after the opening round at The Players in 21 years.

Welcome to Sawgrass.

"I hit it close a lot," said Castro, making it sound as easy as it looked.

He led over Rory McIlroy, who broke par for the first time in his fourth appearance with five birdies after the turn and conservative play off the tee on the front nine for a bogey-free 66. Zach Johnson also had a 66 while playing in the pristine morning conditions.

Woods had to work a little harder in the afternoon. Not only did he spot Castro nine shots, Woods had never broken 70 in the opening round in his 15 previous tries.

 "It was a day that I felt I had to shoot something in the 60s," Woods said.

He ran off four straight birdies around the turn. He was on the cup of his first bogey-free round at The Players until his 8-iron from 200 yards went just over the green and he flubbed his chip. The bogey gave him a 67, a strong effort considering he knew he had a lot of ground to make up before hitting his first shot.

"I've seen that a lot, but not at this golf course," he said.

Vijay Singh, playing one day after he sued the PGA Tour for its handling of his doping case, was largely ignored while playing in the group behind Woods. One fan wore felt deer antlers in the bleachers behind the first tee — Singh's case involved taking deer antler spray — but only a dozen or so people followed the 50-year-old Fijian on the back nine and it was a quiet day.

At one point, Singh let out a hearty laugh walking off the tee with Robert Garrigus and J.J. Henry. His golf wasn't the subject of the laughter. Singh hit into the water on the last hole and made bogey for a 74, leaving him in danger of missing the cut.

So ended a first round filled with plenty of action — a record-tying score by a player hardly anyone knows, McIlroy breaking par for the first time at Sawgrass, 17 balls in the water around the island-green 17th and 33 rounds in the 60s. Padraig Harrington followed an eagle with a double bogey. Michael Thompson made a hole-in-one.

Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans - Scientists Find Link Between Bipolar Disorder And Flu In Pregnancy

Source - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
By - Claire Carter
Category - Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans

If the findings from the research, which suggests children are four times more likely to develop the disorder if their mothers suffer from the flu during their pregnancy, vaccination policies for mothers to be may have to be changed.

But women have been advised not to worry as the risk is still fairly low, and the study needs to be done with a larger sample before the link can be confirmed.

Scientists in South Africa and the US examined data from people born between 1959 and 1966 in the American Kaiser Permanente health system, matching their mother’s health records with later psychiatric assessments. It found of 92 people who were bipolar, eight had been exposed to flu while in the womb.

The journal JAMA psychiatry said: “Offspring exposed to maternal influenza infection at any time during pregnancy were nearly four times more likely to develop bipolar disorder than those who were not exposed.”

Scientists believe the flu can disrupt the development of the brain, and the disease has previously been linked to schizophrenia in children.

Dr Fiona Gaughran, consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, told The Times: “If future work confirms the link reported here, policy makers may need to consider implications for flu prevention pre-pregnancy, but mothers need not be worried. The overall risk of offspring developing bipolar disorder is low even if one did get flu in pregnancy.”

Experts have said around one per cent of the population develop bipolar disorder, so a four-fold increase in risk would still mean the likelihood of children developing the condition was low. Scientists also suggested there could be other risk factors involved, not just women having the flu while pregnant, and said the study needs to be repeated in a larger sample.

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel - Asian Markets Rise To Highest In Nearly Two Years

Source - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
By - Reuters
Category - New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel

Asian shares rose to their highest in nearly two years on Wednesday, as strong Chinese trade data added to positive sentiment already fed by record highs in global equities overnight.

European stock markets were seen firmer, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX would open up as much as 0.2 per cent. Germany's benchmark DAX equity index ended at a record high on Tuesday.

US stock futures were steady to suggest a calm Wall Street open after the Standard & Poor's 500 Index hit an intraday record high and the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 15,000 for the first time the day before.

Investors are seeing better returns from equities than bonds, which have been hit by interest rate cuts by major central banks, with the Reserve Bank of Australia becoming the latest to do so on Tuesday.

"The RBA is just playing catch-up," said Evan Lucas, a market strategist at IG in Melbourne, noting central banks' moves around the globe. "The major benefactors of this cut will be risk stocks as income-plays flopped on the move."

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.8 per cent to its highest since August 2011, driven by a 1 per cent gain in Australian shares to a new peak since July 2008. Hong Kong shares rose 0.6 per cent.

"The global monetary easing is in full flight, and this will continue to push money managers into the most compelling asset out there - equities," Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG markets, said in a note to clients.

After last Friday's upbeat US monthly nonfarm payrolls and this week's German industrial orders showing unexpected strength, China followed suit on Wednesday with better-than-expected trade numbers for April, further cementing the positive mood.

China's exports and imports grew more than expected in April from a year earlier, possibly easing some of the concerns about weakness in the recovery of the world's second-largest economy and top consumer of many commodities following a run of below-par data in recent weeks.

However, doubts remained over the strength of real demand in China and the accuracy of the figures, with some analysts suspecting exporters may have overstated their business to sneak funds into the country and avoid capital restrictions.

Separately, as the country struggles to keep rising capital inflows at bay, dealers said China's central bank may be preparing to change the way it manages monetary policy by reintroducing bills as a liquidity management tool for the first time since 2011.

Suites In New Orleans - Online Sales Tax Divides Small Businesses

Source - http://www.washingtonpost.com/
By - J.D. Harrison
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

A legislative proposal to allow states to collect online sales tax has divided policymakers and small-business owners, but that hasn’t slowed its momentum on Capitol Hill.

The Marketplace Fairness Act would give states the authority to tax merchants from anywhere in the country that sell to customers inside their borders, be it through phone orders, catalogs or the Internet. The Senate could take up the measure today, less than three weeks after the latest version of the bill was introduced.

The legislation is intended to level the playing field for brick-and-mortar retailers while delivering additional revenue to state and local governments. It potentially poses major challenges for online merchants, who would be forced to start charging various tax rates for customers who live in any one of the country’s thousands of taxing jurisdictions.

Using a crowdsourced story format, we asked entrepreneurs last month to share their take on the proposal and how it would affect their businesses — and though a few supported the change, most denounced the measure as yet another potential burden on their business.

“This law is a nightmare,” commenter Carrie82 wrote. “I am a small-business owner, and with this bill, I can at best expect about an 80 percent drop in online profits, because I will have to stop selling to states other than my own that have sales tax.”

Many expressed similar concerns, warning that the cost of complying with the new tax mandate will deter small retailers from interstate commerce. Commenter CoachMaria, whose company sells CDs and e-books across the country, said she already stopped selling to several states that tried to collect taxes on her sales.

If Congress approves the change, she intends to stop selling out of state altogether.

“It’s a very costly proposition,” she wrote, noting that the software needed to monitor varying sales tax rates would be too expensive. “No states have the same rate.”

Hoping to ease concerns from the small-business community, the authors of the bill exempted companies with less than $1 million in annual revenue from paying online sales tax. But many have argued the cap is too low to protect small retailers.

“I believe it should be raised to $10 million,” wrote commenter Shirley Tan. “If a business sells $1 million online, it doesn’t mean that they got to keep all the money. They have inventory costs, labor costs, shipping costs. So even though it sounds like, ‘Wow, a business is selling $1 million,’ it sounds like a lot but it really isn’t.”

One Internet giant, eBay, has taken the same stance, sending a letter to users urging them speak out against the bill, or at least urge lawmakers to raise the exemption ceiling.

Taxation without representation?

Other critics include lawmakers in sales-tax-free states and proponents of a smaller government — the latter of whom believe the bill would set a dangerous precedent by forcing business owners to pay taxes in states where they have no presence, and where they therefore have no vote and see no direct benefit from their tax dollars.

Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues - Penguins Beat Islanders in Overtime for 2-1 Lead in NHL Playoffs

Source - http://www.bloomberg.com/
By - Erik Matuszewski
Category - Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites Near New Orleans Sports Venues

The Pittsburgh Penguins spoiled the New York Islanders’ first home playoff game in six years, winning 5-4 on Chris Kunitz’s overtime goal to avoid a second straight loss in their National Hockey League playoff series.

The Minnesota Wild sent the Chicago Blackhawks to their first loss of the postseason, winning 3-2 in overtime, while the Ottawa Senators routed the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 yesterday and the San Jose Sharks topped the Vancouver Canucks 5-2.

The Penguins, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, bounced back from a 4-3 home loss against the Islanders in Game 2 in which they blew a 3-1 lead. Kunitz scored a pair of goals yesterday, including the winner on a power play eight minutes, 44 seconds into overtime.

“In a game that had too many bad plays by us to be able to let them come back and get them in front, we did a good job of getting one in overtime,” Kunitz told reporters.

Kunitz, Jarome Iginla, Pascal Dupuis and Douglas Murray scored to give the Penguins a 4-2 lead yesterday in Uniondale, New York, before third-period goals by the Islanders’ Kyle Okposo and John Tavares tied the score.

The best-of-seven first-round series continues at the same venue tomorrow.

Also in the East, the Senators got three goals from Jean- Gabriel Pageau to rout the Canadiens in a game that featured a combined 236 penalty minutes between the two teams.

Ottawa, which scored four third-period goals, now has a 2-1 lead in the series and hosts Game 4 tomorrow.
Zucker’s Tie-Breaker

The Wild avoided a 3-0 deficit against the Blackhawks, the top seed in the Western Conference, as rookie Jason Zucker scored the tie-breaking goal 2:15 into overtime.

Two of the first three games in the series have gone to overtime and Minnesota will host Game 4 tomorrow.

The Sharks went ahead 3-0 in their series against the Canucks as Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture each scored twice. San Jose can close out the series with a home win tomorrow.

There are four NHL playoff games scheduled for tonight, including the New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their first-round series and trailing 2-0.

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins with their Eastern Conference series tied at one game apiece. In the West, the Anaheim Ducks visit the Detroit Red Wings and the Los Angeles Kings host the St. Louis Blues. The Ducks and Blues both hold 2-1 series leads.

Suites In Downtown New Orleans - New Dinosaur Discovered In China — Meat-Eating Dragon King From The Late Jurassic

Source - http://planetsave.com/
By - Nathan
Category - Suites In Downtown New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

Suites In Downtown New Orleans

A new species of meat-eating dinosaur has been discovered in northwestern China by researchers from George Washington University. The fossil remains of the small theropod dinosaur show that the individual in question was less than a year old when it died. The new species has been named Aorun zhaoi, after the Dragon King of the Chinese epic Journey to the West.

The fossils were found by James Clark, the Ronald B. Weintraub Professor of Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences of GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, in the remote Xinjiang region of China, back in 2006.

At the site of the find, a skull, a mandible and part of the skeleton of the dinosaur were discovered. The new species is estimated to have been about 1 meter long (over 3 feet), and likely only weighed around 3 pounds.

“All that was exposed on the surface was a bit of the leg,” said Dr. Clark. “We were pleasantly surprised to find a skull buried in the rock too.”

Because the only fossils yet discovered of this species are of this juvenile it’s unclear how large these animals could grow to be.

“We were able to look at microscopic details of Aorun’s bones and they showed that the animal was less than a year old when it died on the banks of a stream,” said Dr. Choiniere, a senior researcher at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

“Aorun lived more than 161 million years ago, in the earliest part of the Late Jurassic Period. Its small, numerous teeth suggest that it would have eaten prey like lizards and small relatives of today’s mammals and crocodilians.”

The new species was described in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

In related news, the oldest fossil yet of a marine reptile was recently discovered in the Netherlands, and suggests that marine reptiles likely originated in Europe.

Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans - Chinese Police Bust Million-Dollar Rat-Meat Ring

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Family Friendly Attractions New Orleans

Authorities have arrested 904 suspects since the end of January for selling and producing fake or tainted meat products, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.

During the crackdown, police discovered one suspect surnamed Wei who had used additives to spice up and sell rat, fox and mink meat at markets in Shanghai and Jiangsu province.

Police arrested 63 suspects connected to the crime ring in a case valued at more than 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) in sales since 2009.

Despite persistent efforts by police, "food safety crimes are still prominent, and new situations are emerging with new characteristics", the ministry's statement said, citing "responsible officials".

Police confiscated more than 20,000 metric tons (22.046 tons) of fake or inferior meat products after breaking up illegal food plants during the nationwide operation, the ministry said.

Food safety and environmental pollution are chronic problems in China and public anxiety over cases of fake or toxic food often spreads quickly.

In April, many consumers lost their appetite for poultry as an outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu virus spread in China. Sales dropped by 80 percent in eastern China, where the bird flu has been most prevalent, although experts stress that cooked chicken is perfectly safe.

In March, more than 16,000 rotting pigs were found floating in one of Shanghai's main water sources, triggering a public outcry. Over-crowding at pig farms was likely behind the die-off and their disposal in the Huangpu river.

The public security ministry said police had confiscated more than 15 metric tons of tainted pork in Anhui province, although as much as 60 metric tons had been sold in Anhui and Fujian provinces since mid-2012.

But it was the rodent meat in particular that people couldn't stomach, with Internet users turning to the popular microblogging site Sina Weibo to vent their outrage.

"Rats? How disgusting. Everything we eat is poison," one user wrote.

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel - Electric Car Technology May Simplify Your Life

Source - http://communities.washingtontimes.com/
By - Jack Collins
Category - New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

New Orleans Extended Stay Hotel

Battery pack upgrades may be in the future for the electric car. It is a logical idea that greatly favors the battery over the internal combustion engine. 

The idea is that you would simply swap out an outmoded technology with less battery range for the new, so if you could get increasing range with periodic battery upgrades, you might not need or want to buy a new car. Of course, the extent of the range increase would be the primary consideration as to whether to upgrade or not.       

On an April 26 Tesla conference call, CEO Elon Musk expressed: “I love upgrades. Upgrades are awesome.” This was in response to a journalist’s question on the subject of battery technology upgrades. Musk made no assurances that this will be the case at Tesla, but he was obviously interested in talking about the subject. 

The conference call that day was on the new service and warranty program for Tesla. In his remarks on the new program, Musk stated: “We’re making the annual service contract optional, so unlike gasoline cars, an electric car doesn’t need oil changes, fuel filters, spark plugs, smog checks, and all that. They’re only needed if you’re burning oil. In fact, you don’t even need to replace the brake pads, because most of the braking energy is captured by the motor and returned to the battery.”

Does all this sound better to you? It does to me. I was never the type to want to tinker with a car anyhow, so simpler maintenance sounds great to me. As to upgrades, yes, I think upgrades are awesome too.

Suites Near French Quarter New Orleans - Lipstick Study Opens Up Concerns About Carcinogen

Source - http://www.usatoday.com/
By - Wendy Koch
Category - Suites Near French Quarter New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites Near French Quarter New Orleans

Lipstick may brighten your face but may not be good for the rest of you, a study today suggests.

Testing of 32 commonly sold lipsticks and lip glosses found they contain lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals — some at potentially toxic levels, according to researchers at the University of California-Berkeley's School of Public Health.

Prior research has also found lead in lipstick, including a December 2011 survey of 400 varieties by the Food and Drug Administration that found low levels the agency said pose no safety concerns. This UC study looked at more metals and estimated health risks based on their concentrations and typical lipstick use.

"Just finding these metals isn't the issue.It's the levels that matter," says co-author S. Katharine Hammond, professor of environmental health. She says some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could pose health problems in the long run.

"This study is saying, 'FDA, wake up and pay attention,' " she says.

When not blotted on tissue or left as kiss marks, lipstick and lip gloss are ingested or absorbed by the user. The health effect depends partly on how often and how heavily the product is applied. The average user applies lipstick 2.3 times daily and ingests 24 milligrams each day, while a heavy user applies it as many as 14 times and ingests an average of 83 milligrams, the UC study says..

For even the average user, the study found that some of the lipsticks could result in excessive exposure to chromium, a carcinogen linked to stomach tumors. High use could potentially cause overexposure to aluminum, cadmium and manganese.

"Lead is not the metal of most concern," Hammond says, noting it was found in 24 of the products but at levels generally lower than the acceptable daily intake. Still, since no level of lead exposure is considered safe for children, she discourages kids from playing with lipstick or using it for beauty contests.

"I don't think people should panic," she hastens, saying that not all lipstick needs to be tossed in the trash. "But if you use it several times every day, you may want to think about it." Her basic advice: "Use it less."

In a statement from the Personal Care Products Council, chief toxicologist Linda Loretz cautions that the finding of trace amounts of metals needs to be put in context, given their natural presence in air, soil and water. "Food is a primary source for many of these naturally present metals, and exposure from lip products is minimal in comparison," Loretz says. An example: Trace amounts of chromium or cadmium from lip products, as measured in the UC report, are less than 1% of the exposure that people could get from their diet, she says.

Hammond says the results are preliminary and more research needs to be done, because there's no U.S. standards for metal content in cosmetics. The European Union views cadmium, chromium and lead as unacceptable ingredients, at any level, in cosmetic products

Although the study is small, Hammond says, the 32 tested products are common brands sold in stores nationwide. The study was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education Research Center. Its findings appear in the the peer-reviewed journal